# Per the Cavaliers owner's letter to fans, how is LeBron James leaving a "cowardly betrayal"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 9, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108 "2010-07-09T16:44:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/1 "2010-07-09T16:44:13Z")
[Letter here](http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html) The letter seems kind of bridge burning as James is simply taking his best deal. Does the owner have any moral or ethical leg to stand on in making these charges? > [@](#): > > Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight; > > As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. > > 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… > > Dan Gilbert > Majority Owner > Cleveland Cavaliers ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/2 "2010-07-09T16:50:42Z")
He sounds like a drunk ex. I don’t see “the decision” as being a betrayal other than in style; it seems like a slap to the face. I don’t think this is the voice of a responsible, mature owner, though I can forgive him being emotionally raw after such a debacle. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/3 "2010-07-09T16:52:52Z")
His “best deal,” eh? You mean the one where he takes less money and concedes his position as an NBA alpha dog in order to cavort around South Beach and make more commercials? It’s cowardly because: -The Cavs gave him a lot while he was there, and was prepared to do virtually anything he wanted to keep him, yet he apparently gave them the cold shoulder for the last month or so. -The team didn’t learn of his decision until it was announced on his little TV special. -This, after they had fired the coach and GM. -Any chance of the Cavs doing something in free agency is pretty much gone now, thanks to LeBron dragging this crap out. -Did you see the way he dogged it in the playoffs? Then he leaves, and the fans are supposed to be okay with that? Screw him. I wish him the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/4 "2010-07-09T16:58:03Z")
He’s a basketball player. He went where he wanted to go, and he’s taking less money to play there. He wants a championship and Cleveland’s never put a strong enough team around him to get one. Now he’s got team mates he can lean on when he needs to. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/5 "2010-07-09T17:01:51Z")
It is my understanding that: - Strictly in terms of total dollars, the best possible contract for LeBron James could only have come from the Cavaliers, due to the NBA salary cap and the “Larry Bird” exception for veteran free agents resigning with the same team. - Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers _did_ offer James such a contract. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/6 "2010-07-09T17:02:44Z")
> [@astro](#): > > The letter seems kind of bridge burning as James is simply taking his best deal. He’s actually _not_ taking the best deal. He’s accepting a better chance to win, maybe, but he’s definitely taking less money to go to Miami. Under NBA rules, Cleveland could have given him a contract worth as much as $119 million over six years. Any other team could offer no more than $96 million over five years. We don’t know exactly what his contract with Miami is going to be, but it’ll be something close to that. So in leaving Cleveland he gave up one year on his contract and something like $24 million. > [@](#): > > Does the owner have any moral or ethical leg to stand on in making these charges? No, he doesn’t. LeBron was a hometown guy and everybody in sports loves to have those players, but he didn’t have some kind of ethical responsibility to play for Cleveland. He played there under contract. The Cavs drafted him and paid him a lot of money, and fans got emotionally attached for all the reasons fans do, but he didn’t have some kind of obligation to keep playing there. The way he announced the decision was very self-aggrandizing and it came off as heartless, which partly explains Gilbert’s reaction. Gilbert also says LeBron refused to communicate with the team during the offseason. But mostly he’s angry because his team just lost its best player and he needs to find a way to prove he is not responsible for it. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/7 "2010-07-09T17:08:34Z")
I have to say that the way Gilbert handled this was as graceless as possible. It is hard enough getting an NBA free-agent to sign in Cleveland and now this whining is going to make it even harder to attract talent. He does sound like a bitter ex-spouse. ETA: And his little screed was marred by poor grammar. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/8 "2010-07-09T17:12:22Z")
All I can say is thank mortal Christ that this is finally done with. I live in Chicago and don’t give a shit about LeBron, but for weeks on end on the local news and even the national news it’s LeBron this and LeBron that and where will he go and will he join the Bulls and what will we do if he does and what if people start having orgasms in the street when it happens and will this cause car wrecks and screw up our traffic and does thinking about LeBron add to your IQ and all LeBron all the time and LeBronLeBronLeBronLeBronLeBronLeBronLEBRONLEBRONLEBRONLEBRONLEBRONLBNLBNLBNLBN!!! Our local news anchor Ron Magers finally said yesterday, “It’s getting a little irritating, isn’t it?” Ron is a master of understatement. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/9 "2010-07-09T17:21:03Z")
I also think this link is amusing: [Cavs owner's letter mocked for Comic Sans font - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/07/09/comic.sans.cavs.james/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn) ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/10 "2010-07-09T17:37:28Z")
So, basically, Dan Gilbert is **lurking guest**? ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/11 "2010-07-09T17:39:52Z")
Sounds like a big old pile of sour grapes to me. > [@](#): > > 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. But of course it would not have been “narcissistic” or “self-promotional” if he’d decided to stay in Cleveland. Nor, I’m betting, would a free agent who had played for another team be commiting a “cowardly betrayal” if he were to move to the Cavs. Gibert’s just pouting. > [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > -The Cavs gave him a lot while he was there, and was prepared to do virtually anything he wanted to keep him Except, apparently, build any kind of a decent team around their lone superstar. > [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > -The team didn’t learn of his decision until it was announced on his little TV special. Not true, at least according to the [Chicago Tribune](http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-spt-0709-lebron-james-bulls-chicag20100708,0,7438578.story): > [@](#): > > Leon Rose, James’ agent, notified the Bulls and other teams of the decision shortly before the TV spectacle. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/12 "2010-07-09T17:43:59Z")
This letter is clearly directed to Cavaliers fans, not to the public as a whole. He’s just jumping on the “LeBron is an asshole” sentiment that’s apparently sweeping Cleveland. I see it purely as a marketing ploy, and a way to make sure fans don’t cancel their season tickets, rather than how he actually feels. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/13 "2010-07-09T17:58:19Z")
He’s just trying to convince the fans that LeBron’s leaving is in no way the fault of Cavs ownership. That said, the “guarantee” is stupid as hell. What’s he going to do, steal away every NBA All-Star (minus LeBron) from their current teams? The likelihood that he’s capable of building a team that’s going to win an NBA championship with most (or all, now?) of the best players in the game already signed to contracts with other teams is nil, and there’s no reason to think that LeBron and Wade can’t do so in Miami this year (though of course it’s not a given). Sure, he’s upset, sure he wants to re-assure his hometown fans, but the “guarantee” just makes him look foolish when it proves impossible to deliver. ---
**Author:** ![clnilsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecccb3/32.png) [@clnilsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clnilsen)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/14 "2010-07-09T18:05:48Z")
The thing to remember, for Cleveland LBJ not only burned the bridge behind him with the TV special, but he also salted the Earth by waiting so long as to be frozen out of the free agency negotiations, and not even giving the Cavs the courtesy of a sign and trade for some fresh bodies. I believe the Cavs have all of 2 people under contract, so they are forced to pull together a lot of players for a team late in the game. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/15 "2010-07-09T18:07:56Z")
This is the most classless thing I’ve ever seen. Who’s going to want to play for this guy now? Lebron’s a grown man and an unrestricted free agent; no matter what I or anyone thinks of his ego, he was free to do whatever he wanted. If he wanted to stay in Cleveland and the Cavs wanted him badly enough, they would have done what they had to do to clear the cap space and convince Bosh and Wade to come to them but they didn’t. This is just sour grapes crybaby shit. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/16 "2010-07-09T18:13:19Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > This is the most classless thing I’ve ever seen. LeBron’s hour-long testament to his decision was the most classless thing I’ve seen. Gilbert’s tirade was over the top and angry, but it was understandable. He and his customers had just had their noses rubbed in shit for an hour on national TV. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/17 "2010-07-09T18:13:24Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > I also think this link is amusing: [Cavs owner's letter mocked for Comic Sans font - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/07/09/comic.sans.cavs.james/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn) Mildly amusing, however… A guy grows up and learns how the throw a ball through a hoop, and he gets paid tens of millions of dollars to do this, by a guy who probably has hundreds of millions of dollars, and then the first guy gets a one-hour special on national television to tell a waiting nation whose tens of millions of dollars he’s going to accept next year, and the second guy throws a hissy fit about it, and writes a letter about it, and people on the internet mock him for his choice of font… …and CNN writes a fucking article about it!? Sweet zombie Cronkite, is this what passes for news these days? Have we truly sunk so low? Christ, we’re gazing so far up our own navels it’s gonna take a pickaxe, a compass, and night goggles to find our way back out again. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/18 "2010-07-09T18:19:15Z")
Lincoln freed the slaves. No one is required to stay in Cleveland his entire life. > [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > …and all LeBron all the time and LeBronLeBronLeBronLeBronLeBronLeBronLEBRONLEBRONLEBRONLEBRONLEBRONLBNLBNLBNLBN!!! Especially unfair, since it’s supposed to be constant Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger!!! > [@Robot Arm](#): > > Sweet zombie Cronkite, is this what passes for news these days? Hey, feel free to relieve your ennui any way you want. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/19 "2010-07-09T18:27:43Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > LeBron’s hour-long testament to his decision was the most classless thing I’ve seen. Gilbert’s tirade was over the top and angry, but it was understandable. He and his customers had just had their noses rubbed in shit for an hour on national TV. LeBron’s an asshole; everyone outside of Cleveland has known this for years. Nobody knew who Gilbert was, nor would they ever have, until this morning . Here’s what I’m saying: as a guy who’s trying to lure the REST of the top talent to play for him now that his cash cow has skipped town, this is NOT the face you want to put forward. What this is saying is “I’m going to kiss your ass while you’re here, kowtow to your every whim, then turn on you the second you start eyeing greener pastures.” You know why players want to go to the Lakers? (A) They’re in LA, (B) they have a good team already, and (C) **they treat their players great**. Shaq wants out? They said, “Good luck. Wish you the best” Jerry Buss didn’t go on a tirade **in public** to talk shit about the man. Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, was furious about Michael Vick **behind closed doors** , but in public he was fully behind his player. Players want to play for the man. Because he has class. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108/20 "2010-07-09T18:54:11Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > LeBron’s an asshole; everyone outside of Cleveland has known this for years. Nobody knew who Gilbert was, nor would they ever have, until this morning . > > Here’s what I’m saying: as a guy who’s trying to lure the REST of the top talent to play for him now that his cash cow has skipped town, this is NOT the face you want to put forward. What this is saying is “I’m going to kiss your ass while you’re here, kowtow to your every whim, then turn on you the second you start eyeing greener pastures.” You know why players want to go to the Lakers? (A) They’re in LA, (B) they have a good team already, and (C) **they treat their players great**. Shaq wants out? They said, “Good luck. Wish you the best” Jerry Buss didn’t go on a tirade **in public** to talk shit about the man. Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, was furious about Michael Vick **behind closed doors** , but in public he was fully behind his player. Players want to play for the man. Because he has class. I’ll defer to to your opinion about the Falcons’ owner because I know nothing about him. You’re greatly overstating the reaction other players will have to Gilbert though. All he has to do is apologize, say he was angry and said some things in the heat of the moment, and everything will be fine. Players have short memories when owners are waving dollars at them. As for it being common knowledge that everyone outside of Cleveland has known for years that James was an asshole, do you have a cite for that? If everyone knew it, why didn’t anyone write that, in the 6 weeks of all LeBron all the time, we’ve seen since the NBA finals ended? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-the-cavaliers-owners-letter-to-fans-how-is-lebron-james-leaving-a-cowardly-betrayal/546108.md?page=2)