An Open Letter to LeBron James by HD MM
Dear LeBron,
In just your 6th year as a professional and at the tender age of 24, on this special day I'm forced to reflect upon your still young career. Today, I'm reminded of another special day on May 22, 2003. That Thursday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers scored perhaps the biggest victory in franchise history. The right to the #1 overall selection in the '03 NBA Draft.
I'm not sure if you realized what that meant to us, but that day brought the hope of what you could potentially bring to the table, not just for the Cleveland Cavaliers or even Cleveland sports in general, but for the entire city of Cleveland and the entire state of Ohio. I was convinced that you, LeBron James, can and will be the savior of a franchise, a city and a state. The fact that you were one of us (Akron, Ohio native) made it all the sweeter.
When you came to the Cavaliers, our beloved franchise was in shambles. It was a joke of franchise. A franchise consisting of players such as Shawn Kemp, Ricky Davis, Darius Miles and Jim Paxson. The franchise up until that point had brought this city more disappointment, embarrassment, and humiliation than anything else.
Fast forward 6 years later and you have made us forgive all of those distant bad memories. And instead, what you've instilled in this franchise and city is something words simply cannot attest to. In just under 6 short years, you've exceeded the unworldly and seemingly unfair expectations set upon you at such an early age. That speaks volumes to your character and talent and gives us even more reason for greater hopes and dreams in the near future.
This season, which we can now refer to as your "MVP Season" has uplifted us higher than any other season in decades. You led this team to a league-best 66 wins, a franchise record, and took this franchise on a run unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the regular season before. It’s only fitting that you receive the ultimate validation of what you've meant to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nothing will ever take the place of bringing a Championship to this starved city, but nothing makes us more happy and more proud to be a Cavalier fan today than to hear that you've been officially named the 2008-09 NBA Most Valuable Player!
Today you've been honored with a prestigious award. One that shows that hard work, dedication and loyalty does indeed pay off. To that I congratulate you. But more so than anything else, I'd like to thank you LeBron, for everything you've done for this sleepy ol' city and franchise.
Here’s to you, LeBron…..job well done, indeed!
party
Sincerely yours,
HD MM
