Letter to Lebron

Dear Lebron James, Your Majesty, The King..... THE Akron Hammer:

I still believe in you. If it means anything at all, I still have faith in you. I don't think there is player in the NBA that can match your skills. Every player that has ever played with you has complimented your charisma, your loyalty, your unselfishness. Every player in the NBA wouldn't mind lacing up their kicks and playing ball with you. MJ had Pippen, Kobe had Shaq and now he has Gasol and D-Wade had Shaq. That is all you are lacking, but I think we can save that discussion for another day.

The purpose of me writing you is on behalf of people of Ohio, specifically the greater Cleveland area. In Ohio, you are the only King in the Kingdom. Their is no greater sports icon. To give you a hint about your dominance. Shin Soo-Choo is best player for the Indians, and Colt McCoy will likely be the best player for the Browns. Do you see what I am getting at? This town needs you. If they don't have you.... gulp..... Mo Williams is the best basketball player in Cleveland.

Cleveland needs you. Ohio needs you. Simple as that. You know the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." Do you want to abandon this village that raised you? Then they'll be left with the nephew of Kim Jong the North Korean Dictator as their city's sports star.

You gave them hope. June 26, 2003, "The Mistake By the Lake" was actually the envy of every team in basketball. They had The Basketball God's prodigal child. I don't think Cleveland has given up on you. Your first game, the entire world tuned in. You are the only NBA player I've seen where people actually buy your high school jersey. Arena's that don't fill up for their own team will fill up when you are in town. Cleveland has never had a superstar - the closest thing was almost 50 years ago with Jim Brown.

So the reasons for staying are simple. You would be the hero. You would give a city that hasn't known championship in any sport since 1964. They will start naming their kids after you.

Apparently there are only a few teams in the market. The ESPN ticker has mostly been talking about three options, Knicks, Bulls and the Heat. I closed my eyes and tried to picture "James" on the back of one of those jerseys, and it just didn't work, and I'll tell you why each one of those places isn't for you.

New York sounds appealing doesn't it? I know whenever I blast "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z, I even consider packing up and heading there. But here is your situation if you go there: Your sidekicks would be David Lee and Tracy McGrady. If your supporting cast was bad in Cleveland with Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao and a handful of other unselfish players, then you are walking into a terrible support group. And we will see how sincere the love is between you and Knick fans after a slow start, and missed expectations. The boo birds will be present, love will be tarnished, and no titles will be won.

Chicago looks really good on paper. Good supporting cast. You would finally get that supporting cast that previous superstars enjoyed. Derrick Rose even looks like Scottie Pippen. It is a big time city that loves its sports, and its fans are loyal. But you would be like the 2nd husband to a widowed woman. You would live in a house where MJ's photos still hang on the wall. You'd go to bed in his bed. You'd sleep with a woman who is thinking more about her first husband. Radios, blogs, studios all over the country will be talking about how you remind them of MJ. You'd be a sequel, and sequels are never remembered, they are just reminders of the first.

Miami. What more can I say about Miami, that Will Smith hasn't already said.

"Don't get me wrong, Chi-town got it going on
And New York is the city that we know don't sleep
And we all know that L.A. and Philly stay jiggy
But on the sneak, Miami bringing heat for real
Y'all don't understand
I never seen so many Dominican women with cinnamon tans
MIRA this is the plan
Take a walk on the beach draw a heart in the sand
Gimmie your hand
Damn you look sexy
Let's go to my yacht in the West Keys
Ride my jet skis
loungin in the palm trees
Cause you gotta have cheese for the summerhouse piece on South Beach
Water's so clear you can see to the bottom
Hundred thousand dollar cars, every body got em
Ain't no surprise in the club to see Sly Stallone
Miami my second home."

Who wouldn't like to be able to head home after each game with their top down, and spend your days off on a yacht. What doesn't sound good about that? You and Dwayne Wade would make quite the dynamic duo, but I don't think you know how much they love D-Wade down there. You would be the lovable friend that D-Wade brought over. In the old television series "Growing Pains", this character was none other then Boner Stabone, best friend of Benjamin Seaver. You are better then that, you aren't a sidekick, you're not a Tito Jackson, Robin or a Tonto. Miami is a place that would be fun to visit, and even live in during the offseason, but I don't see you in a Heat jersey, and lets be honest, neither do you.

Cleveland is your city. You have two sons with your high school sweetheart with whom you are still with today. You are a self-proclaimed loyal guy. You are the only guy I've seen who invited the whole city to come to his MVP ceremony. You yourself has said, "I want to put this city [Akron] on the map." Have you done that yet? Have you left them anything? I know you can, if you just stick around. Be as loyal to Cleveland, as they have been with you. You wouldn't leave your high school sweetheart for the hot girl in New York who wouldn't be with you, if you weren't a superstar. Cleveland was with you during those AAU days. You probably played your first basketball game in the YMCA. Be that guy, the American sports hero that hasn't been heard of. There is only one place where you can do it, Cleveland, Ohio.

We are all witnesses.

Sincerely,

Jake Alan Runyon