James took out a full-page advertisement in Tuesday’s Akron Beacon Journal, thanking fans in Akron and saying that the city will always be his home. The letter made no mention of Cleveland, or Cavaliers fans.
“For all my life, I have lived in Akron, and for that, I am truly a lucky man,” the letter read. “It was here where I first learned how to play basketball, and where I met the people who would become my lifelong friends and mentors. Their guidance, encouragement and support will always be with me.”
The ad appears on the back of the paper’s front section, and it comes a few days before James’ annual bike-a-thon in Akron, which gives hundreds of bikes to needy children in the city. Some had speculated that the event might be cancelled after LeBron’s decision to leave for Miami, but LeBron chose to continue with the bike-a-thon, although it has been scaled back because of the city’s budget woes.
Damage control…
I do believe it is important to LeBron that he repair his relationship with his hometown and that he doesn’t hold any such allegiance with the city of Cleveland. Akron has a population of 217,074 and is 39 miles south of Cleveland, so it’s a separate city in its own right. LeBron’s hope is that Akron won’t completely disown its prodigal son, and I doubt it will.
Like I said, damage control.
