Open letter to LBJ

Dear LeBron James:

I am one of your biggest critics. I have let it be known to anyone willing to listen that I am far from your biggest fan; I’ve even gone as far as heckling you via Twitter. I know this letter doesn’t mean anything to you and why should it? I’m simply a sports fan, one of many who will probably never have the opportunity shake your hand or say to you, “Nice to meet you.” Experts began clamoring over your immense talent and potential while you were still in high school and when you joined the NBA we quickly learned that those experts were right. You became the “next Jordan” very quickly and I didn’t like that and because of that I didn’t like you. Today that opinion has changed.

I’d like to tell you that I’m only a couple years younger than you. You and I grew up at the same time watching the same basketball stars and both rooting for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. I’m sure you and I celebrated very similarly as young boys during the Bulls dynasty runs. I’m sure you also shot basketballs pretending to play next to Jordan and Pippen and dreaming of one day winning a championship. For one of us that dream became a reality. Unfortunately I’m 5’8” and was never all that good at basketball. With all that being said, I root against you because you threaten Jordan’s legacy.

Four years ago I disparaged you for joining the Heat and taking the “easy way out.” In the last four years I’ve probably said “Jordan wouldn’t have done that” in regards to something you did probably 1,000 times. And the truth is I will probably say it 1,000 more times in the next four years. I don’t see me rooting for you anytime soon (except during the Olympics) but today with your decision you have turned one of your most fervent detractors into a fan.

I am happy for you. I am happy for Cleveland. I don’t think you should have ever left Cleveland four years ago but you did and that’s in the past. Now you can go home and reconcile with that fan-base. I will still root for the Bulls and root against you because I don’t want you to win six-plus championships and eclipse Jordan. I will still criticize you if you only score eight points in a playoff game. I will still hope that Joakim Noah gets in your face and shuts you down when you’re trying to get to the rim. But I will also applaud you when you deserve it. For me though, most importantly, I will not send you spiteful tweets again because you do not deserve that from anyone, especially not me.

Today I applaud you for doing the right thing. You’re going home and I’m sure there is no better feeling that that. Good Luck to you in all your endeavors.

Now go ahead and tap those Nike’s three times and say, “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home,” because you deserve to.

Sincerely,

Still not your biggest fan—Tim Claro

P.S. Let’s go Bulls!