Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Prince Lebron James Disses Cleveland in GQ Article


Lebron you just need to shut up. You are the only one talking besides all of the other true nba greats that think you are an idiot. You are making Cleveland look better and better each time you open your mouth, so SHUT UP!

LeBron Prince James Runs his Mouth Again About Cleveland

Since "The Decision" really all we've heard or seen from LeBron is him being heckled or booed at an appearance. He didn't speak during the Nike World Basketball Festival and for the most part, has just kept a low profile.

Finally, we have some fodder. J.R. Moehringer of GQ had the opportunity to spend three weeks with LeBron in the lead-up to the decision and also spoke to James about a number of different things.

In the interview that drops in full Aug. 24, LeBron actually says he could see himself returning to Cleveland one day as well. "If there was an opportunity for me to return," he says, "and those fans welcome me back, that'd be a great story." But then again, he also talks about how as a kid, he hated Cleveland, italics used for added emphasis on hated.

A few of the other highlights:

LeBron on how those close to him view his decision: “They’re happy to see me happy. That’s what they can see in my face. They say: ‘It’s been a while since we’ve seen you look like that.’”

On Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert: “I don’t think he ever cared about LeBron. My mother always told me: ‘You will see the light of people when they hit adversity. You’ll get a good sense of their character.’ Me and my family have seen the character of that man.”
 
On how a kid could from Akron, located only thirty minutes from Cleveland, could grow up rooting for Chicago and Jordan: "It's not far, but it is far. And Clevelanders, because they were the bigger-city kids when we were growing up, looked down on us.… So we didn't actually like Cleveland. We hated Cleveland growing up. There's a lot of people in Cleveland we still hate to this day."

On how growing up helped him learn about facing adversity and staying humble: “That’s what keeps me humble, because I know my background, know what my mother went through. I never get too high on my stardom or what I can do. My mom always says, and my friends say, ‘You’re just a very low-maintenance guy.’"

Moehringer also describes in detail what it was like hanging with LeBron's crew. One of the more interesting points is how LeBron is surrounded at all times. Whether it be with friends, managers, agents or family, LeBron doesn't spend a lot of time by himself. Moehringer writes: "But as with anything, all that comfort comes at a cost, and I think that his fear of being alone keeps him at times from walking through the fire that we all have to walk through. Maybe sitting alone in a room and thinking might have helped him realize that an hour-long special devoted to his decision was ill advised. My suspicion from watching him surrounded by people wherever he goes is that he's not spending a lot of time alone in a room thinking through things."

There's also something in the article talking about how James is potentially trying to re-create his high school experience, something he calls his favorite time of his life, by going and playing with friends in Miami. It's interesting because James spurned his local predominantly African-American high school but instead enrolled at predominantly white St. Vincent-St. Mary to play with friends and build a superteam. He was called a traitor, a cop-out and pretty much all the things he's being called now. And as Moehringer points out, in LeBron's memoir, the chapter talking about his choice to play at the catholic prep school is entitled "The Decision."

I remember Brian Windhorst, who covered LeBron even in high school, tweeting in the build-up to the one-hour announcement special that this new media savvy, image conscious LeBron was not someone he knew. LeBron refers to himself in the third-person constantly, talks about hating Cleveland his entire life and is so enveloped in his own happiness that he surrounds himself with people that only tell him how happy he is. That doesn't sound a whole lot like the guy that was all about winning and teammates a few years ago with the Cavs.

But honestly, after this inside look, maybe LeBron never changed. Maybe he's the exact same guy he's always been.

Cavs to Change Uniforms

-- Austin Carr fondly remembers his glory days playing guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1970s.

Under coach Bill Fitch, they didn't have as much talent as many other teams, but those wine-and-gold expansion Cavs had something special.

 
The Cavs present their new look, which is actually a throwback to their early years in the NBA. (AP)   "We were 12 men deep," Carr said as he helped the Cavs unveil new uniforms for 2010-11. "You knew every night we were going to play 100 percent. Nobody was going to quit."
Realizing he had taken a shot at former Cavaliers' star LeBron James, Carr raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.

At this point, what else can be said?

Long before James announced he was leaving as a free agent for Miami, the Cavs planned to wear new uniforms next season and Tuesday they presented their "updated" look, a throwback to their early years in the NBA.

The uniforms include a "deeper" wine and "brighter" gold hue than the team's previous uniforms. They also include the word "Cleveland" written in a block-style lettering as opposed to the script of the past.

On Monday, owner Dan Gilbert said jokingly that the new uniforms would include the Comic Sans font. It's the style he used in his infamous letter to Cleveland fans on July 8 after James announced he was leaving Cleveland.

The Cavs insist they are trying to move on, but James was again in the news being quoted in an upcoming GQ interview that he feels Gilbert never cared about him and his hatred for Cleveland dates back to his days as a kid growing up in Akron.

Carr, who was the league's No. 1 overall draft pick in 1971 and Cleveland's first bona fide hoops star, remains disappointed in James' departure. The two-time MVP announced his decision in a prime-time TV special, breaking the hearts of his biggest fans.

"As an ex-player, I might have left myself," said Carr, a color analyst for the team. "So I don't begrudge him for that. But the way he did it was unprofessional and uncalled for."

After James announced his decision, Gilbert fired off his impassioned letter ripping James for being "narcissistic" and predicting the Cavs would win a championship before "the self-titled former king." Later, he told the Associated Press that he felt the superstar quit in this year's playoffs.

Although it seems the Cavs are trying to move on, James' magazine interview has reopened the issue. He's the one who can't seem to let things go.

"That's his problem," said Carr, who cried unashamedly the night the Cavs won the NBA draft lottery and the rights to draft James. "Not ours."

Carr was joined by former teammate Campy Russell at a launch party for the new uniforms. Both players laughed at the length of the shorts compared to the tight-fitting ones they wore.

"We wore Daisy Dukes," Carr said.

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