Читать книгу The Redemption of the King - Vince McKee - Страница 8

Introduction

LeBron James is regarded by many as the greatest player in the history of high school basketball and is seen as having the potential to surpass Michael Jordan as the game’s greatest player of all time. In the early 2000s, because of his incoming talent, most NBA experts considered LeBron to be better than 75 percent of the then-current league’s talent before he played even one game. So it was no surprise when he forfeited his college eligibility and declared he would enter the 2003 NBA draft. For the Cavaliers, the chance to select LeBron as their first overall pick signaled a rebirth for the franchise, as well as for the city of Cleveland.

On May 22, 2003, after five years of no luck, Cleveland finally turned around their fate when they won the NBA draft lottery. The reason why the number-one pick was so crucial was that LeBron would be entering the draft. The Cavaliers were tied with the Denver Nuggets for the highest chance of winning the pick. It almost seemed like a dream come true for Cleveland fans, who, for so many years prior, had received every bad bounce of the ball and wrong turn along the way. Most fans stopped believing that good things could actually happen for their beloved teams. The fans had survived a drive, a fumble, a shot, Jose Mesa, and even their beloved Cleveland Browns leaving town, and now, for the first time in many years, something had finally gone their way. Legendary Cavaliers alumni Austin Carr was so moved with emotion by the lottery results that he was seen in tears following the announcement. Never before had the bounce of a little white lottery ball carried so much weight for the hopes and dreams of so many fans. The winds of change were finally blowing on the cold shores of Northeast Ohio, and its war-torn fans were set to receive some long-awaited hope at last.

On paper, LeBron had every right to leave Cleveland as a free agent when his contract expired in the summer of 2010, which simply stated that he was drafted by the Cavaliers—not that he had chosen to play there. On paper, LeBron didn’t owe Cleveland anything more than his best effort, which he gave in full. However, life is based on so much more than what is written down on paper.