LeBron James

Well, a lot of people here in Cleveland seem to be buzzing about the fact that LeBron James may leave Cleveland for some New York when his contract here is up. Now, nothing can happen for at least two years and who knows what things will be like then. Cleveland may have won a championship. LeBron may have a serious injury. Who knows? What I do know is that I wouldn't blame him if he left.

I think the reason a lot of people in Cleveland get upset when these "stars" leave is because, deep down, we know Cleveland stinks. All these fans who are already painting James as a potential traitor would probably also leave if they were in his shoes. Let's be honest, would you rather be a multimillionaire in New York or Cleveland? Some people certainly might not like the New York lifestyle and in 20 years, James may not want that anymore either. But right now he's a kid in his early 20's. He's rich, popular, in great shape, and would be the toast of the town. If I were his age, with his outgoing personality and money, I'd much rather be in New York where there's always something to do and supermodels walk around on the street.

Again, how does Cleveland compare to New York? Sure, it's quieter and the cost of living is much more appealing but that's not an issue for LeBron James. We have a handful of great restaurants, a terrific art museum, and a world class orchestra. I'm not sure how much LeBron is into the latter two but NY has hundreds of great restaurants, Central Park, the Met and Guggenheim, world class theater, fantastic night clubs, great sporting events and venues, and there are actually things to do there after 9pm when Cleveland has gone to sleep. Of course, Ohio is ranked in the top ten in the nation for obesity and smoking. That's pretty appealing. And on a nice day you can pick up the stench of slag from the steel mills for several miles. Our greatest resource in Cleveland, Lake Erie, remains undeveloped as a tourist attraction.

My point is that if I were LeBron, I'd get out of here as soon as I could. That doesn't mean he hates Cleveland. What it means is that he had an opportunity. Drew Carey left, Bob Hope left. Sure they visit(ed) frequently and even maintained local properties but they didn't stay here working at the Improv in the Flats. They left, just like I would and just like probably anyone else would if they could get a great job making good money and living somewhere more fun or interesting. It is what it is.

Maybe LeBron will stay, maybe he won't. Ultimately it won't matter because sports and sports heroes, like actors and other celebrities, just don't matter that much in the world. Two years is a long time. But if he does leave, I wouldn't blame him at all. He has the right to have fun and do whatever he wants. If I would feel any malice toward him, it would only be out of envy and I suspect that's true of most people who would be angry with him.