If you have not heard by now, Lebron James on Thursday night of last week broke the hearts of Clevelanders, and took his game down south to Miami. Lebron James will be joining forces with follow all stars in Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat, in creating a perfect professional basketball version of the New York Yankees.
As expected, the city of Cleveland, did not take his circus of announcement lightly, after James announced his plans. Which was televised on national television on ESPN, an in hour long self title program named “ The Decision” which took place 492 miles away from Cleveland in Greenwich, Connecticut.
After James proclaimed to the world, that he was headed “ down to South Beach”, and not only bolting out of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise, but from his native state of Ohio.
The cameras showed the outpour of damage felt by many Clevelanders, fans out on the street, burning any, and all Lebron James appeal they had on hand. Fans, throwing rocks, and damaging a 10 story mural of Lebron James of the now in famous“ We Are All Witness” billboard in downtown Cleveland.
So is all of the dismay in Ohio, regarding Lebron James decision, overblown? In my opinion, and in having felt the way in which Cavaliers fans feel now, in the summer of 1996, when Shaquille O’Neal bolted for Los Angles from Orlando absolutely not.
If anything is overblown in Cleveland, is the perception that team owner Dan Gilbert has the fans back, in his raging and really pointless public relation job.
On Friday of last week, Gilbert declared that a Cavaliers team without James would win a title, before his new team the Miami Heat. I hate to further pass along some more bad news Cleveland fans, however, the only back that team owner Dan Gilbert has is his own, as in trying to protect further damage to his investment. In 2005, Dan Gilbert, brought the Cavs for $375 million dollars.
The latest net value report of the Cavs, as of this past December of 2009 reported by the financial magazine “Forbes,” had the Cavs total team valued at $475 million dollars.
It has been reported by a number of financial news outlets, that if, and when Lebron James, leaves the Cleveland franchise like he just did on Thursday night, that the net value of the Cleveland Cavaliers would be cut in half. So in doing the math, $475 million dollars divided by two, equals $237,500,000 million dollars. Which is now what the franchise is worth. I would to as well as anyone else would do such a public relations stunt like that, who would not?
Sadly, the money does not stop there, it has been projected that downtown Cleveland business, will lose an estimated $48 million dollars in revenue next year because of Lebron James absentness. Bottom line, its all about money, like it or not, the fact is that the world revolves around money, period.
Lebron James will now be 1,206 miles away now from his hometown of Akron, Ohio as that is the distance from Akron to Miami, Florida. In those long miles are now distance fan memories now gone of the Cavaliers days with Lebron. As I mention, the Orlando Magic, and the Orlando community lost Shaq in the summer of 1996 to Los Angles, it took the Magic, 12 years, till 2004 to land Dwight Howard in the 2004 NBA draft as a number one first round pick.
Its going to be a long, long, journey Cavs fans,and Clevelanders till you will find a replacement for Lebron James, in the mean time hang in there, and remember about the Orlando Magic.
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