LeBron James is going home

Courtesy: http://hoopspeak.com/2011/01/cleveland-thank-lebron-for-making-you-terrible/

“Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio,” the Akron native writes in the first paragraph of his as-told-to cover story in Sports Illustrated. “It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.”

I'll admit that I'm one of the biggest anti-LeBron guys out there, but by returning to Cleveland he has certainly gained my respect. In my mind there were only two legitimate options for him to sign - Cleveland and Miami. 

Coming into the summer, Miami had only one player (Norris Cole) under contract for next year. It was going to have to take quite the financial maneuvering to be able to bring back James, Wade and Bosh and still be able to form a championship roster around then. 

In Cleveland, the Cavs have a solid young core of Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, and it's 2014 number one overall pick Andrew Wiggins.  They also have veteran big man Anderson Varejao, who was around when LeBron was last a Cavalier. 

It all made sense for LeBron to go home to Cleveland. The roster, the familiarity, and the ability to earn back the love of a town who disowned him after his decision to leave and sign with the Miami Heat back in 2010. Now that LeBron has agreed to join the Cavs, the rest of the free agent dominos will soon fall into place. It is going to be an exciting few months leading up to the season. 

"I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home."