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Parker starting to heat up.
Kids gonna be a stud.

I must say, this is the first time ever I've enjoyed tuning into ESPN and watching non-stop coverage about a single player.

I think one of the best parts ... we can finally enjoy watching highlights like this again:

Wiggins starting to feel it now.
Was pushing too hard at first.
I hope we can keep him.

Wish I had a stream of the game, I don't have the NBA channel anymore.

I know we have been talking about it forever, and over the last week, we've been led to believe it's happening, but I still can't believe it.

Manziel, Lebron, Wiggy.

Not to mention Justin Gilbert, Ben Tate, Andrew Hawkins, Donte Whitner, etc...

It's like Cleveland just flipped on the awesome switch in a matter of months. This is incredible.

I know we are all pessimistic about the Browns, but screw it. Let's ride the momentum. I fully expect them to blow up. It seems the dark days are over. It's incredible.

I know what you mean. Someone could punch me in the face today and I probably wouldn't stop smiling, The Cleveland fan in me is just waiting for the other shoe to drop now. Hope Kyrie doesn't fail a drug test or something tomorrow.

If Wiggins is playing, that must mean he's signed, right? Meaning, they couldn't trade him for 30 days.

Funny, I was just walking down the street in Lincoln Park with my Browns shirt on, some random dude yelled out, "Johnny Football.....and Lebron too!" In April, what was Cleveland's identity?

Can someone help me out real quick? I think there was a rap song that had lyrics that said something like "it's the return of the king!" Anyone know which one?

Looks like we are trying to bring the heat here...talking to miller, allen and anderson

Are you possibly thinking of "Down With The King" by RunDMC?

j/c something I want to get off my chest and I wish I could scream it to the top of my lungs to have the uninformed media morons listen to it. I tweeted Adrian Wojnarowski earlier tonight because it was really bothering me about that stupid letter and how the media claimed that the Cavs just yanked it off the web. I knew with about 90% certainty that the letter probably didn't exist BY ANY LINK but the media was not internet savvy to know that old web pages die hard. The page can exist in a directory / folder and CAN BE accessible even if there was no direct link to the page. IF you bookmarked the page or there was an old internet article linking that article, the page is accessible if the page wasn't deleted.

I tweeted Wojnarowski relayed my hypothesis and asked him to ask Gilbert if that page existed or if it was a forgotten page. (DM me and I will send you the twitter screen shots if you believe I am not truthful.) 20 minutes later Woj tweeted out the tweet explaining Gilbert had informed him that the page was pulled quite some time ago. It was another ESPN , BS line. Dan didn't just pull the page as ESPN reported. The link to the page was pulled a long time ago. The page still existed and was accessed through an old article according to Dan. Ask Purp or anyone else with any web experience. The pages, if not deleted outright, exist. All it takes is the right directory call. If an article from 10 years ago has a link to a page elsewhere and that page still exist in some forgotten directory, it will show. That letter was not intended to exist. It was bad website management; not Dan Gilbert just now yanking a page. Now how to convince the national buttheads of it.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/dan-gil...-011753257.html

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert told Yahoo Sports that the explosive public letter chastising LeBron James' departure four years ago had long ago been pulled from his franchise's website.

On the night that James' live show on cable TV infuriated the Cavaliers owner and inspired his infamous letter, the Cavaliers website posted Gilbert's correspondence. Nevertheless, Gilbert insists it was taken down within months – despite recent revelations that it continued to be a part of the team's site.

"The letter was taken down from our website years ago," Gilbert told Yahoo Sports on Friday. "There was some remnant link from the NBA site that someone discovered a few days ago and when our people were notified, it was immediately killed.

"The concept that we had the letter up for four years and just took it down is absurd and flat-out wrong."

Thank you kind sir, rocking it as I type

Once again, I'm down with king. Who would have thought!

Yeah, the ultimate non-story.

Heck, I could go on the internet wayback machine and find damn near anything that ever was too.

In the end, the letter existed once, and Gilbert and Lebron had to address it at some point. They did, and the issue is settled.

Anyway ....... a Tweet from Delli .....

Matthew Dellavedova ✔ @matthewdelly
Follow
Did I miss anything while we were at shootaround?
1:14 PM - 11 Jul 2014 Paradise, NV, United States

A bit of reaction from the team, and some info from the game tonight.

LeBron James 'just lifted a whole state by himself,' says Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt after NBA Summer League game (slideshow) | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/...t_river_default

LAS VEGAS -- The story on opening day of the NBA Summer League was supposed to be about the showdown between the Cavaliers' No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins and Milwaukee's No. 2 choice, Jabari Parker.

LeBron James' decision heard round the world quickly changed that.

"First and foremost I'm happy for LeBron, because he made a very difficult decision," said new Cavaliers coach David Blatt after his team's 70-68 win. "Obviously he made a decision from the heart more than anything else and I respect him for it and I'm joyful for it.

"Second of all, for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the state of Ohio – if you were around Cleveland today you would understand what I'm talking about – he just lifted a whole state by himself."

This post will be updated shortly with more reaction and news from the game.

Blatt said he learned the news at 9:45 a.m. Las Vegas time – 12:45 p.m. Cleveland time, about 30 minutes after the news broke -- during his team's shootaround.

Wiggins said he was elated to find out he would be playing alongside James.

"I was happy, the best player in the game today is coming to your team, that's just gonna be a great learning experience for everyone," Wiggins said. "He works hard; I know he's a hard worker, unselfish, so hopefully he takes all of us under his wing and teaches us what it takes to get to his level."

Wiggins, who has attended two of James' camps and met him both times, said he'd likely move to the shooting guard spot, to complement James. He added he feels there is no reason to alter the way he plays.

"I think my game style matches his style," said Wiggins, whose explosiveness, athleticism and shooting ability ignited the crowd Friday night on several occasions. "I can play with anybody. I don't think I have to change my game for anybody."

Friday night, from media row, to fans in the stands, Summer League staff, to the person pushing buttons in the freight elevator -- everyone was talking about King James.

"When I learned about it, I wasn't altogether surprised, particularly after reading what LeBron wrote, which was heartfelt and so indicative of the kind of person that he is; that just made it all the sweeter," Blatt said. "I thought 'I'm gonna have an awfully good seat to watch the best player in the world play this year.'"

For now, though, the focus is on the Summer League and the team's roster composition.

Wiggins and Parker made history, as it was the first time in the 10 years the Summer League has been in Vegas that the top two picks in the NBA Draft played each other. In 2007, Portland's Greg Oden and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant were scheduled to meet, but an injury kept Oden from participating.

Wiggins led all scorers with 18 points, while Anthony Bennett, Cleveland's No. 1 pick in 2013, added 15 points and seven rebounds.

That story came out a day or two ago. Basically it was archived onto some NBA.com server, not even even the Cavs server. The web-master for the Cavs noticed a spike in traffic, and had to call up the guys at the NBA offices to delete the page. I think most reporters are just lazy, and keep repeating the same thing over and over and don't bother following up on it.

I can't believe how off Broussard was this morning when he said Lebron was still hung up with the letter. Usually he has good sources, but he was way off base. Lebron made up his mind Thursday..

Looks like Mike Miller is on board unless "something unforeseeable happens" according to Sam Amico.

Looks like the Lebron media vultures descended on Wiggins instead.

Cavs also talking with Birdman, but so is Miami

I thought Lebron was Sheridan's source. Figured Lebron would give someone the story, and the way Sheridan was reporting, I thought he gave it to him..

I bet it was his Agent, honestly. He broke the story the last time too.

J/C..

Good times ahead.

LBJ Video Tribute

I might have to hit up Primo's Deli or The Diamond Delicatessen tomorrow for good measure.

That song is perfect for a homecoming video.

Absolutely.

Now, I'm trying to convince my wife into season tickets. However, looks like we'd have to put a deposit down and get on a waiting list and hope for the best.

That's about the greatest 2 minutes in the history of my youtube experience.

Man this Kirk kid is a lumbering beast on the court. lol He looks like his right foot is completely unfamiliar with his left. He looks like he has some ability ...... but man, it is almost painful watching him "run" the court.

One other thing that just popped into my head .....

I wonder how Jabari Parker feels about how he approached the draft, now that Lebron is in Cleveland?

I am into the 2nd quarter of tonight's game .... but I can already tell that Wiggins needs to play in closer than he has so far in this game. He does not look like a 3 point guy.

I don't think anyone posted this yet, but it's worth reading:

'LeBron: I'm coming back to Cleveland'

BY LEBRON JAMES (AS TOLD TO LEE JENKINS)
Posted:
Fri Jul. 11, 2014

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers

Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. 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.

Remember when I was sitting up there at the Boys & Girls Club in 2010? I was thinking, This is really tough. I could feel it. I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating. If I had to do it all over again, I’d obviously do things differently, but I’d still have left. Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always think of Miami as my second home. Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today.

I went to Miami because of D-Wade and CB. We made sacrifices to keep UD. I loved becoming a big bro to Rio. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did! The hardest thing to leave is what I built with those guys. I’ve talked to some of them and will talk to others. Nothing will ever change what we accomplished. We are brothers for life. I also want to thank Micky Arison and Pat Riley for giving me an amazing four years.

I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted. I don’t want anyone thinking: He and Erik Spoelstra didn’t get along. … He and Riles didn’t get along. … The Heat couldn’t put the right team together. That’s absolutely not true.

I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.

When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.

I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. But I have two boys and my wife, Savannah, is pregnant with a girl. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.

To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom, who can be very tough. The letter from Dan Gilbert, the booing of the Cleveland fans, the jerseys being burned -- seeing all that was hard for them. My emotions were more mixed. It was easy to say, “OK, I don’t want to deal with these people ever again.” But then you think about the other side. What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react? I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?

I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can’t wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates.

But this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.

In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.

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



(end)

I like Andersen, and I think that he would bring some needed attitude to the team. He's a mahher as opposed to a scalpel ...... but when he goes up for a shot, it usually goes in. He's also a shot blocker, which we need inside. We definitely need a couple of veterans who can help teach the kids the right way to do things.

Right now, I believe that the roster looks somewhat like this:

Irving
Wiggins
Lebron
Thompson
Varejao
Dellavedova
Waiters
Bennett
Carrick
Hopson
Harris
Haywod (who not yet official, is said to be on the way anyway)

Even if we keep everyone ....and I'm not buying real estate if my name is Carrick, Hopson, (and maybe Waiters, Bennett, or Thompson) .. that's still only 12 of 15 roster spots. Maybe either Kirk or Cooley manages to stick .... but who knows? . I also have no idea what happens with the 2nd round kid we were set to acquire along with Haywood.

Carrick, Harris and Hopson should all be on largely non-guaranteed contracts. They can easily vanish into the ether. If we want to add 3 or 4 FOL, (Friends of Lebron) we can easily do so. (as long as most are on minimum contracts) We also picked up a trade exemption in the Alonzo Gee trade of right around $3 million. We can use that anytime we want. I think that we desperately need 2 more bigs. I am deathly afraid t count on Andy playing even just most of a season.Other than him, I guess right now that Thompson might be our backup Center. He played some Center under Scott ...... so who knows? That would move Bennett into more of a full time PF role, and while he did look betterr in today's summer league game, he di wear down badly near the end. They did say that it was somewhere around 90-95 on the court though, and it was the 1st summer league game.

I wish that we could move Andy, and I think that we might be able to, except that Lebron really likes him. With his contract only being partially guaranteed, he could be a nice chip otherwise.

It's going to be interesting to see how what this roster looks like come opening day.

JC

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy he's back and all. I'm just not "as happy" as the majority of the other people it seems. I still can't fully shake the public The Decision ordeal.

Nevertheless, welcome back home LeBron. We are instant contenders now.

Hopson was traded to the Pelicans last night as part of the Haywood deal. So, you can safely cross him off. Mike Miller appears close to agreeing.