Dear Cleveland,
First off, congrats! You've gotten your prodigal son back. You've adorned him with gifts and thrown the great party. You've told the jealous older brother (The Browns) that they have always been there and you still love them. You do have a propensity for prodigal sons. From Josh Gordon, to Johnny Manziel, to Rick Vaughn they seem to stick to your fair city like glue. I'll say I'm a little envious as a Spurs fan. Our biggest prodigals have been Stephen Jackson and DeJuan Blair.
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Second, you're welcome for getting your son to come home. Don't ever forget he came home when he did because of this.
You've tracked planes, moving trucks and loitered outside LeBron James' home. We love that. As a Spurs fan, I know I'd do it. Remember that time you burned jerseys in the street? I wouldn't of done that. In public I mean, but in the backyard fire pit? That thing is going ablaze.
But now the media won't let you rest and enjoy the moment. It won't let you dream about next season. Because it won't stop harping on reports of a Kevin Love trade to Cleveland for Andrew Wiggins. I know we'll probably see Kevin Love wearing your Cavs jersey next season, the front office won't take the small chance of losing LeBron again because it didn't get Love.
I put 100 dollars on the Cavs winning the 2015 title when you were at 30-1 odds. And I'd honestly feel a lot better about my chances if you all had Kevin Love. But, this letter will reflect my desire for bigger things for my friends in Cleveland. For the record Spurs fans, I'd gladly lose out on that 100 and a chance at $3000 for a sixth title. But that chunk of change would make a loss in The Finals hurt a little less than 2013 did. Any self righteous fans that say other wise are ridiculous. I'm supposed to be the crazy guy, not you!
Anyways, I've followed Twitter and Fear The Sword and know that you're torn up. You don't know how to feel regarding this Kevin Love situation.
I'll be honest, I haven't seen Kevin Love play that much. I'm afraid I've missed the Wolves-Kings regular season bouts. Though I've seen highlights, I can't accurately judge his game. I mainly remember him from his UCLA days, when he was a little husky and I assumed he'd be an 8 point-8 boards energy guy.
I know he spreads the floor well and rebounds like a maniac, but I agree with Zach Harper in that not many people have actually watched him. Because he plays on the freaking Timberwolves. I think Kevin Garnett would have literally murdered someone if he had played with this Minnesota cast. At least The Big Ticket got Wally.
Sorry Cavs fans, I digress. Love is probably amazing and will hang several banners with your hometown kiddo, but here's advice from a Spurs fan on what I think you SHOULD want.
I've been angry every summer because the Spurs didn't sign some marquee free agent. I was furious last summer after the Spurs lost to the Heat that they didn't get Al Jefferson or Andre Igoudala. But, they've always proved me wrong. They've shown me it's so much more fun to watch your team grow up before your eyes, without the help of outsiders who can make it easier. Would it be fun to watch Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and LBJ bring Cleveland it's first banner in decades? Oh yeah. I can't wait to watch you lose it like the Spursians do on the riverwalk.
But, I said congrats to you on getting your prodigal son back. So, I think your city deserves to watch its boy do what no Miami fan ever got to see. You deserve to watch your oldest win with his homegrown younger brothers.
We now know he can win championships, we now know he can make clutch shots, we now know he can elevate his teammates. But, we haven't gotten him to see him play the Tim Duncan role. We know he can win championships with people like Kevin Love. But can he make Anthony Bennett great? I think he can. And I desperately want to see him try. And I think you should too.
I think it would be fun to get to watch LeBron develop a team of young players with a cast of veterans behind him. Let's watch him grow with David Blatt like we saw Tim with Pop. Watch him chew out Kyrie's bad defense ala Tim and Tony Parker. See him facilitate Dion Waiters' craziness while channel his aggressiveness like Tim did for Manu. I want to see him make something out of Anthony Bennett and Tristan Thompson like Tim did so many struggling players. Then, I want to see Andrew Wiggins extend LeBron's dominance for a few years, like Kawhi Leonard has done for this Spurs team.
I love the Spurs and yeah part of me doesn't ever want to see another version of them. That's selfish though, all fan bases other than the Lakers, Heat, Mavericks and Rockets deserve to get to watch basketball as wonderful as I've seen. You deserve it Cavs fans. And frankly, this Cavs team like it's currently constructed has the best chance to be a version of the Spurs over the next 10 years. I hope you'd want that.
Though none of what fans want truly matters, (which is probably a good thing, if so, you all would have marooned LeBron on an island in the pacific in 2010 and you'd be stuck watching Alonzo Gee), I hope you'd want to watch your returned son grow up the way you deserve. Five years of Love and LeBron or nine years of LeBron and Wiggins? Which brings more championships? As a Spurs fan, I'm going to have to go with the latter.
I want to see LeBron raise up a group of young teammates the way he desires to mentor kids in Akron/Cleveland. Though you just want championships and that's okay, we do too, I hope you'd know you can wish for the storybook ending.
I saw LeBron play his rookie year, when your Cavs traveled to San Antonio. I was in 8th grade and I tightened up every time LeBron got the ball. The whole crowd wanted and expected greatness. Your hometown kid has been the only superstar in the league that has made it consistently impossible for me to hate. I loved him during his first stint with you guys. I felt awful for him in 2007. I got so much joy watching him play the Magic in 2009. Despite the loss, that was such an amazing performance. I tried to hate him after he gifted the Mavericks their first title. But, he gained back my support when he stopped the Thunder in 2012. I even tried to hate him this year because of the devastating Finals loss.
Then he played amazing in this years Finals. I was reminded of the wonder he can bring. Even as a Spurs fan, I tightened up every time he shot. I have always expected greatness when watching LeBron. I know you have too. I hope you can get to experience a type of greatness that Miami never got to. Watching Kevin Love would be a lot of fun. But, from one great fan base to another, I hope you get to witness what we've seen from Tim during the past 15 years. During Game 5 of the Finals, I began to be sure of the fact he was leaving.
I saw him rifle passes to his Heat teammates that were obviously shrinking back and realized that he needed a team that would play hard for him. He'll get that with the current Cavs roster. Andrew Wiggins, Dion Waiters and Anthony Bennett are going to be terrified of letting him down. In the way that the 80's Celtics refused to fail Larry. They'll fear him in a healthy way. The same way a son fears the father he respects. In Miami, people like Rashard Lewis seemed to just latch on for the ride.
Your Indians didn't win with free agent hauls. They won with Cerrano and Willie Mays Hays. The tribe was all natural, despite the most hostile owner situation in history and a team cancer in Roger Dorn. And remember how good that felt?
It wasn't real? Sorry.
Anyways, you've already had one unthinkable dream come true this summer, so hope for more, you already have enough Love.
Hey, cheesy, but why not?
Sincerely,
A fellow crazy fan
