Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert's Open Letter to the Fans

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Brutal.

Need to have a lot more tact.

Bad move.

Cleveland ain't makin' the f'n playoffs with that team of bums and have no cap relief until 13/14.

Yeah Dan, should have just kept your hot headed mouth up and just chilled out and made moves.

Now, you look like a SOZE'd girl.

[Sportsbuck]

lol: http://panthers.nhl.com/

[Argath]

I wish Buck3y35 were here right now

[Argath]

I agree.....being nice and politically correct is overrated nowadays. Most people are hip to how each other really feels. No need to lie about it anymore to preserve a fake image.

While some of his letter was over the top.....the part about the manner of the ESPN special couldn't be more true. I was expecting a press conference...not some produced TV show with good lighting and a crowd of little kids in the background.

LOL at having the kids there too....desperate attempt by Team LeBron to make him not seem like a dick.

[G-men]

how can a guy go from starting his post with "I don't mind that Lebron went to the Heat" and then finish it with "Fuck Miami"

[Sportsbuck]

damn... people just going all-in on Lebron right now. He deserves it.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/michael_rosenberg/07/08/lebron.event/

[Coked Up Elmo]

cle gave lebron free range to him and all of his buddies, they could have gone the ny, miami and chi route over the past 2 years and said hey we are going to dump guys to try and get help in 2 years so we arent going to be competitive for the next couple seasons. If they did that lebron still probably would have left, but they went the other way and tried to get whatever they could at whatever price to try and win a championship every year and he still left. And he acted like he wasnt at fault for the failure in the playoffs this last year which makes me the most pissed off.

[Coked Up Elmo]

damn... people just going all-in on Lebron right now. He deserves it.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201.../lebron.event/

But you know what? In Miami, anything short of a title will be a failure. Nobody outside of Miami will root for this team, and nobody in Miami roots for anybody. They're too busy enjoying the weather.

lolol

[Sportsbuck]

Gilbert in a phone interview:

Gilbert, who posted a letter to Cavs fans on the team's website shortly after James announced his plans to sign with the Heat, told The Associated Press late Thursday night that it's "accountability time" for James.

"He has gotten a free pass," Gilbert said in a phone interview with The AP. "People have covered up for (James) for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."

Gilbert feels James quit on the Cavs during their second-round series against the Boston Celtics, who rallied from a 2-1 deficit to eliminate Cleveland.

"He quit," Gilbert said. "Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar."

The Cavaliers were beaten by 32 points in Game 5. During the game, James appeared distracted and uninterested, often glaring at Cleveland's coaches as the Cavs tried to foul to get back into the game in the second half. James also made some puzzling postgame comments, saying he had "spoiled" people with his play over seven seasons.

Gilbert also said he believes James quit on the Cavs in Game 6 of their series in 2009 against Orlando.

"Go back and look at the tape," he said. "How many shots did he take?"

Gilbert, who has owned the Cavs for five years, said he was most disappointed by James' behavior in the months leading up to the superstar's announcement that he is going to Miami to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Gilbert said James never returned a single phone message or text since the end of the season and that the Cavs were not informed of James' decision until he went on the air.

Gilbert said Rich Paul, one of James' business partners, called the Cavs moments before the announcement.

[mgoblue2290]

I like Dan Gilbert. The Cavs probably won't win a title but at least he didn't release a statement thanking LeBron for his years in Cleveland. He spoke with some passion, and you can always respect that.

[dave]

I love the letter.
I agree with him 100%. The Cavs did everything in their power to give James what he wanted.
Did he repay that over his seven years? Absolutely, he transformed that franchise and had a serious effect on the economy of Cleveland.

At the end of the day, he should have shown some loyalty. This was a city and franchise that needed Lebron James.

As numerous pundits (including a lot of former NBA players) are saying - three championships in Miami will not mean more than one would have meant in Cleveland.

I feel awful for the city of Cleveland. They didn't deserve this.

[mgoblue2290]

I liked Rosenberg's article as well and I agree with you dave. Even if he wins 5 titles in Miami, people will always have a side comment of how he had to do it. LeBron had a chance to do something special and do something athletes rarely do, become an icon for an entire city.

Also, I bet one day LeBron tries to go back to Cleveland and finish out his days there. I hope Gilbert is still the owner and I hope he tells LeBron to go fuck himself.

[Colonel Angus]

Lebron didn't know how to win a championship with his team in Cleveland so he joined Wade's team in Miami so he could do it for him. Simple as that. It still is and always will be Wade's team.

[citizenerased]

I wish Buck3y35 were here right now

He think's they can get Melo next year.

[celtsxpatsxsox]

I don't really get the hate for Lebron. Lebron has always said winning is the most important thing to him. Cleveland just didn't give him the best chance to win so I can't really hate on him for going to the team that did.