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LeBron: On the ‘progess side’ with Cavs owner Gilbert
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
LeBron James made it clear in July his return to Cleveland was about more than basketball. But to get back home, he needed Forgiveness 101.
James addressed his relationship with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who published a venomous and personal letter blasting James when the team’s former No. 1 overall pick left for the Miami Heat in the much-publicized “Decision” as a free agent. James played his first seven seasons with the Cavaliers before infamously announcing he would “take his talents to South Beach.”
There was much made of James reuniting with the former employer when he re-signed with Cleveland in July, agreeing to a two-year deal after four consecutive NBA FInals appearances with the Heat.
“As a man, if you got a problem with somebody, you sit down face to face and you talk to them eye to eye. And you hash it out and move on,” James said. “So, I think a lot of things that go on in life or in sports with people kind of holding grudges is because they’re afraid to actually take a step forward. It’s a fine line between pride and progress, and I’m on the progress side. I’m not on the pride side.”
James has said he regrets the pomp and circumstance around the nationally televised “Decision” and that he did not discuss his intentions with the Cavaliers before the announcement.
“How did I forgive? I’m a man,” James said. “Men, we all make mistakes.”
Pundits are backing this version of the Cavaliers, which James has heavily influenced by personally recruiting friends and allies, much more than the previous iterations that were centered around James but offered little in the way of depth or support.
It helps that James has two rings to use as a recruiting tool as needed.
“I recruited (before) I left here, but I just didn’t win nothing so nobody wanted to play with me,” James said. “I recruited. I recruited Michael Redd, I recruited Joe Johnson, I recruited Chris Bosh. I recruited a lot of guys. I just didn’t win, and they didn’t want to come to Cleveland. So, I guess me winning two championships, it helped out a lot.”
