LeBron James revient aux Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James a choisi et c’est aux Cleveland Cavaliers qu’il continuera sa carrière.

Un retour à la maison pour celui qui avait quitté ce même club en 2010, lors de la célèbre émission de TV : The Decision.
Il a préféré ne pas annoncer son choix à la TV, pour éviter les nombreux retours négatifs qu’il avait dû faire face à l’époque.

Pourquoi LeBron James a rejoint Cleveland ?

LeBron James est originaire de l’Ohio, il est né à Akron, à seulement 1h30 de Cleveland. Il a surtout choisi son équipe pour le défi sportif.
Miami est une équipe vieillissante et on l’a bien vu lors des Finales 2014 face aux Spurs. Son compère D-Wad, sur la fin de carrière à cause de ses genoux, et les papy sortis du banc (Battier, Allen…) ne pouvaient rééditer la performance de 2013.

LeBron avait aussi une dette envers les fans des Cavs, qu’il avait lâché il y a 4 ans (puisqu’il était en fin de contrat), le même départ qu’il vient de réaliser du côté de Miami, qui, comme on peut le comprendre, ne réussira pas à rester au même niveau lors de la prochaine saison NBA.

#Heat fans next season like pic.twitter.com/FSRlOaOB98

— Terez Owens (@TerezOwens) 11 Juillet 2014

King James a donc choisi une équipe jeune, avec un avenir prometteur, l’inverse qu’il allait avoir au Heat. LE Cavs sont une équipe jeune, avec un 5 majeur plus qu’intéressant avec LBJ :
– Kyrie Irving (22 ans), qui vient de signer une prolongation de contrat, qui reste l’un très bon meneur de jeu, qui deviendra grace à James une superstar.

– Dion Waiters (23 ans) : L’arrière shooter s’est révélé lors de la saison passée et devrait franchir un nouveau cap grâce à l’omniprésence de James sur le terrain. Il est fort à parier que son adresse aux tirs de loin grimpera en flèche.

– Anderson Varejao : on ne présente plus le Brésilien. Très bon défenseur et rebondeur, Varejao sera avec LBJ la touche finale dans le 5 majeur des Cavs.

– Tristan Thompson (23 ans) : un power forward utile qui a tout à apprendre, précieux en défense.

Les Cavs risquent de jouer petits, puisqu’ils ont enregistré le départ de Spencer Hawes, un grand qui jouait loin du cercle, et l’arrivée de l’un des tous meilleurs rookies de l’année : Andrew Wiggins, un arrière-ailier aux qualités physiques exceptionnelles. Attendez-vous à un paquet de dunks l’an prochain.

On oubliera vite l’année de Anthony Bennett, ex-N°1 de la draft qui est passé à travers la saison dernière avec 4,2 pts, 3 rbds en 52 matchs. La pire saison d’un rookie drafté à la première place.

L’attente de voir les Cavs dominer la ligue East avec Indiana est immense et les critiques seront vives s’ils n’arrivent pas à décoller avec le talent brut de cette équipe de Cleveland.

La lettre de LeBron James expliquant son choix du « retour à la maison » :

Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.

 

Remember when I was sitting up there at the Boys & Girls Club in 2010? I was thinking, This is really tough. I could feel it. I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating. If I had to do it all over again, I’d obviously do things differently, but I’d still have left. Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always think of Miami as my second home. Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today.

 

I went to Miami because of D-Wade and CB. We made sacrifices to keep UD. I loved becoming a big bro to Rio. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did! The hardest thing to leave is what I built with those guys. I’ve talked to some of them and will talk to others. Nothing will ever change what we accomplished. We are brothers for life. I also want to thank Micky Arison and Pat Riley for giving me an amazing four years.

 

I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted. I don’t want anyone thinking: He and Erik Spoelstra didn’t get along. … He and Riles didn’t get along. … The Heat couldn’t put the right team together. That’s absolutely not true.

 

I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.

 

When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.

 

I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. But I have two boys and my wife, Savannah, is pregnant with a girl. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.

 

To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom, who can be very tough. The letter from Dan Gilbert, the booing of the Cleveland fans, the jerseys being burned — seeing all that was hard for them. My emotions were more mixed. It was easy to say, “OK, I don’t want to deal with these people ever again.” But then you think about the other side. What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react? I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?

 
I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can’t wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates.
 

But this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.

 

In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.

 

I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home.

Go LeBron

Est-ce LeBron reprendra son numéro 23 ?