Dan Gilbert's Letter to Cavs Fans... Wow!

[Eddie20]

Would he be willing to now trade Varejao for Sheed's deal? It enables them to shed some cap, let's face it despite the letter they will be in complete rebuild mode, and give LeBron even more of a hurdle.

[Rondo_is_better]

What a childish letter ... pathetic

I completely agree... what happened to his professionalism?

I find the sanitizing and silencing of emotion to be quite boring. Its basketball. Its an entertainment industry. Its all a game, its all frivolous. Its really not important so its okay have a little drama and to show a little emotion. Dan Gilbert isn't the president. Its a different context, completely, so I think its fine for him to do this.

[RJ87]

For those saying this is unprofessional, what do you call what Lebron has done these past few weeks?

He wanted to leave, that's his perogative. But to do it in such a public and humiliating manner to your hometown is cold. This seemed thoughtless, even spiteful. There was a better way to do this, a way that was more respectful to the Cleveland fans who've supported him and his self hype for 7 years, to the organization who's catered to his every whim to a fault.

I've lost tons of respect for Lebron through this process - especially for making me defend Cleveland fans, lol.

This letter from Dan was perfect, good for him for being honest.

[Mizzy21390]

One thing I know is that I think that Gilbert's main problem is the way that Lebron went about telling everyone that he was leaving. I don't think he's that angry that Lebron is leaving. Yes he's probably angry about that, but I think the main fury is coming from the way he announced everything.

If Lebron simply did what every other agent did, and said, "After many talks, I have decided to move on", in a letter, or from his publicist, then fine. But he publicly humiliated his former team, and had to make the whole world wait on him, and have a special 1 hour announcement.

That is why Gilbert spoke of the arrogance, and stuff... Not for leaving, but because of the arrogance..

[Bahku]

LeBron should have done this in Cleveland, with a small, short press conference, placing the emphasis on first thanking the city of Cleveland, and being a little humble about what he owes to them and the reasons for leaving.

The way it came off was completely about him being the arrogant, self-centered mega-star whose only motivation is further glory for himself. He presented it wrong, said it wrong, and the city of Cleveland will not soon forget having him rub their noses in it.

[LooseCannon]

I have to admit, if I were in Dan Glibert's shoes, I would probably be thinking right now about offering Anderson Verajao a lifetime supply of hair care products if he takes out LeBron at the next Cavs-Heat game.  I'd probably calm down given time but, [dang], I'd love to see Cleveland have some old school enforcers willing to rough James up a bit.

[RJ87]

"It's not about him leaving," Gilbert said. "It's the disrespect. It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children? I've been holding this all in for a long time."

[j804]

"It's not about him leaving," Gilbert said. "It's the disrespect. It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children? I've been holding this all in for a long time."

Also Mo Williams is heart broken lol

http://twitter.com/mogotti2

[guava_wrench]

As outrageous as this letter was, I wasn't suprised at comments like these seeing as I live in Ohio and am used to dealing with disgrunted Cavaliers fans, or just ****s who support the Cavs simply because LeBron James' market-ability has been abused to the point where it sometimes marginalizes the rest of the league.

Those sorts of people may not even have the league's best interests at hand, and instead focus their sports writing on targeting individual stars, further elevating the problems that occur when one athlete/individual/superstar is over-hyped and expected to bail out a city full of losers in a sport that they have never been successful at.

I understand why Cavaliers fans feel betrayed; however, instead of taking their anger out on LeBron they should first realize that he isn't the only thing going on in the league (even right now w/ the NBA summer-league) and that he has every right as a professional athlete to try and maximize his chances of winning and being successful in his sport, even if that means leaving his current team.

Maybe after their anger boils over, in a few seasons from now they'll look back to their 'LeBron James days' and remember what they used to have -- a two-time league MVP who was one of the best/last of a rare bread of phenom high-school athletes who went straight to the pros, and that they were equally lucky to even have the chance to draft LeBron with the first pick seeing as the Cavaliers have always been a mediocre basketball franchise.

For them to even reach the NBA Finals, which they lost in 4 games, a young LeBron had to carry that team on his back, scoring all of their points through an entire overtime period against the Pistons in the 2007 playoffs. The Clevland Cavaliers have existed as an NBA franchise for over 40 years and have still yet to have won a single game in the NBA Finals.

TP

[dlpin]

I think was Lebron has done over the past few weeks is pathetic, and I hate him more than ever. And it specially sucks for Cleveland that Lebron pushed them so hard to sign Jamison over Amare only to leave them with Jamison's monstrous contract for the next few years.

That said, I would have had a lot more respect for Gilbert if he had said this a week ago. Or if he had said this right after the playoffs.

Because Lebron has been an unprofessional clown for a long time (going on tv to talk about his upcoming free agency even as he was still signed with the cavs, etc), but Gilbert was ok with that back then. Heck, if the outcome of "the decision" had been favorable to the cavs, I bet he'd be saying something completely different.

[action781]

My first reaction was loving it.  The more I think about it though, I feel that my love for it was just from me despising Lebron and this drama saga he has orchestrated.

Now, I think it was stupid for several reasons:
1.  Loyalty?  Betrayal?  This is a business.  Dan wouldn't be "loyal" to a player who has played there several years by way over paying him.  He focused way too much on this "betrayal" as if Lebron was legally binded to stay with Cleveland forever.
2.  Guarentee a title in 10 years?  What a joke.  Wanna bet some money on that guarantee of yours, Dan?  Because I'll bet every penny that I own that you won't.  If he couldn't build one around Lebron, no way he builds one around nothing.
3.  Where was all of this energy and dedication to providing his "beloved" fans of Cleveland with a title back when they did have Lebron?
4.  If Lebron had chosen Cleveland, no way Dan would have ever ever said: "This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment." which fact would remain utterly unchanged no matter where Lebron chose.

I agree with his anger for the narcissistic, self promoting way that Lebron went about all of this.  But I think he took some things too far.

[wdleehi]

The NBA has indeed become the WWE. The purity of the game has been lost. Props to Dan Gilbert though. Let's see how Sern reacts to this.

Please stop comparing the NBA to the WWE!

Yes.


Because in the WWE, you have to distract the official to get a bad call.

[wdleehi]

He needs to shut up.




If he and the rest of the Cavs front office didn't spend all their time trying to do what Lebron, a young player that has no college education at all, wanted the team to do.


What they should of done (like smart teams do) is make the decisions to put a team capable of winning a title together around Lebron. 


Instead, they added the big name placeholders that Lebron hand picked.



It is the Cavs fault for having the worst roster of the teams trying to get Lebron.  (not enough talent without the flexibility)

[Roy Hobbs]

Wow.  That's got to be the most unrealistic "guarantee" I've ever seen.  Sorry, Dan, it's not happening.

I see the entertainment value in this, I guess, but I think it's unprofessional.  (And no, I don't think Lebron is very professional, either.)  It was the Cavs who chose to cater to a superstar, giving him influence over the coaching staff, player acquisitions, and plays run on the court.  It was the Cavs who compromised their roster in a misguided attempt to appease Lebron.  To now come out and mock him for his ego and his need to be "King", when they fed and enabled that ego, seems a bit hypocritical.

In short, screw the Cavs.  They got what was coming to them.

[Cman]

Wow indeed.
Good for you Dan Gilbert!