On the eve of the start of another NBA season, there are mixed emotions. As a lifelong Cleveland Cavalier fan (and native Clevelander), I view this upcoming season with mixed emotions. I love basketball. Over the years, I have loved the NBA less and less. It’s not the same anymore. College hoops are so much more pure and enjoyable. But I still watch the NBA. For the last 7 years, we Cleveland fans have had arguably the best player in the NBA to watch night after night. We grew used to it. We were….spoiled.
I have never had a problem that Lebron decided to do what free agents do and leave. He earned the right and he followed the rules of free agency. Like many others, it was the WAY he did it. To be honest, I’m even over that mess. What has bothered me since “the decision” is the complete nonsense that continues to come out of Camp Lebron. The latest chapter in this crazy story dropped today with the new Nike commercial simply called “Rise”. Clearly the suits at Nike sat down with Lebron and are putting the full court press on a PR campaign.
I’m not buying it….or his shoes.
Nike have always been on the edge and like to push the envelope of marketing. It’s the Madonna rule that says “even bad marketing is good marketing”. They are getting their share of the Lebron mess while trying to clean up the damage he’s done since “the decision”. If he was really asking me what he should do, I’d probably say…it’s a little late for that now.
Your Thoughts???
To those outside of Ohio and especially Cleveland, this post probably won’t mean much. It might even come off as a bit odd, but like the old saying goes…you had to be there. I’ve said it more times then I can count but I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. We’ve all seen the lowlight reel of Cleveland sports failures (over and over and over again). Outside Ohio, they probably are a good punchline. In Ohio and Cleveland, it’s like ripping a band aid off of a wound (over and over and over again). People in Cleveland work hard and live through their sports teams. It’s a large part of their community.
So what if Lebron James is gone. So what if former Tar Heel Danny Green got cut from the Cavaliers yesterday. The show in Cleveland must go on and tonight it made a stop in Columbus, Ohio for a pre-season game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Thanks to the kindness of my good friend “D-Rich”, “the boy” got to be a ball boy for the second year in a row. Last year he was more of a spectator during the game, but this year he was busy-busy! We arrived in time for pre-game shoot around so the boys were able to rebound and chase down stray shots.
