Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 at 9:00 am  |  176 responses

LeBron James’ ‘Emotionally Draining’ Return to Cleveland

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

One could make the argument that, barely a month in, this is (and will remain) the most highly-anticipated game of the NBA’s regular season.

Everyone — from fans, media, teammates, players on other teams; hell, even baseball players — is looking forward to seeing how Cavs fans will react, and how LBJ will handle matters once the venom starts flying.

LeBron’s first game back in Cleveland this Thursday promises to be an emotionally-charged affair, and James knows it.

The Miami Herald has the quotes:

LeBron James is bracing for Thursday’s hostile return to Cleveland, which Dwyane Wade said “is going to hurt him in a way” emotionally.

James said Tuesday the animosity “is going to be tough” to take. “I’m ready for whatever response I’m going to get. It’s going to be very emotionally draining for myself. Being in a different uniform, it’s going to be kind of weird. I give a lot of thanks to that city and those fans to give me the opportunity to showcase my talent and grow from a young boy to a man.’

Dwyane Wade warns LeBron not to try and do too much during game, and promises to help out with the traditional powder toss if need be.

On the Cleveland end of things, though they’ve taken additional measures to ensure the safety of everyone in the gym on Thursday, things seem to be a lot looser, and there are signs that the Cavs are ready to have fun with the circus-like atmosphere.

Some have suggested for LeBron James to embrace the villain role, but that doesn’t seem likely to happen. He’s not the type to relish hatred from opposing fans, something that will make his return to what used to be home that much tougher.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

  • http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

    I can’t believe this whole issue is making Allenp, one of the more eloquent guys here, write “crappy, crappy, crapping the bed crap”!!
    That’s some emotion there, laughed my a** off at that.
    Oh and co-sign E @12.43.
    The excrement spouting BC-wannabe was just all sorts of wrong, but the LBJ-Hating-all kinds of nonsense spouting-i want an NBA star to react according to my definition of decency-BC, is all kinds of off. i know you love to provoke reactions on your articles, man but boy is this getting out of hand.

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    Actually Eboy, I did apologize to people and you big upped me for it.

  • T-Money

    BC: I would throw back insults if I were 12, I’m not. You’re making an assumption based on thin air that people would praise LeBron for not throwing the powder and also somewhat linking that to decency and my core values as a human being. That’s kinda bold, no? We’re talking about resin powder here. Yes, I’ll laugh at him if he doesn’t throw the powder because that would be extra weak. Unlike many of the commenters here, I don’t feel like I need to defend a player I like for every single act he does. Doesn’t mean I won’t consider him a tremendous basketball player anymore, I just don’t care that much about how celebs behave outside the lines. I also laugh at Clevelanders for the level of anger transpiring from that city, it’s quite comical. I don’t respect fanaticism.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    That was weeks ago, kid…..you didn’t really have THAT many dudes hating on you then!!!!!

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Darksaber
    You liked my use of “crap”? It’s so versatile.
    Anyway, how do you feel about the Mavs so far? Dirk is killing, Tyson has made y’all better defensively, but I think Caron and Kidd will kill y’all come play off time unless Caron steps it up quickly.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    And yes, you came off sounding WAY better because of it at the time…..’cause you were rational and understanding that people make assumptions, even when they shouldn’t.

  • http://www.slamonline.com ShadiestBen

    I don’t respect the way Bron left Cleveland by letting them know on national (inernational?) TV without giving them a heads up. For that reason only I hope Miami get blown out tomorrow. Also I hope that there is no major incident, Cleveland fans should be happy with going to the game and hecklin Bron for a full 48. That should be enough.

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    T-Money: So what’s different about making the assumption that the hate for LBJ is a “novelty” (12:41) that will eventually wear off or that people will call him p***y for not throwing the powder (12:09)? If my assumptions came out of thin air then where does your come from?

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    Eboy, that’s kind of why the “Bron Crawford” thing is starting to grow on me somewhat. It certainly applies given all the “blind hate” that I receive on the daily.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    I know I got my DVR set for the game tomorrow. Unfortunately, I’ll barely be getting off work when the game starts. I honestly don’t know what to expect. I’d be lying if I said I hope something crazy doesn’t happen. I mean, the home crowd just booing him everytime he touches the ball would be boring as hell, we’ve seen that before. At the same time, I wouldn’t want anything super-crazy to happen either. Ultimitaley, though, I think a lot of us are gonna come away dissapointed because it will probably be anti-climatic. The fans will boo LeBron, he’ll struggle, the Heat will pull out the win. The end.

  • http://www.twitter.com/TheDiesel Anton

    Don’t you need to have human emotions first in order to have an emotionally draining experience?

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    Since Eniggy made his prediction on how tomorrow will go…so will I. I think that Bron is going to play within the flow of the half-wit offense, then at some point in the early part of the second quarter (when Wade takes his rest) he will go off for about 14 in the quarter putting the game out of reach. I seriously hope he doesn’t react to fan barbs cause if he does, I can see a scene eerily similar to The Palace situation late in this game. The Heat will win going away and Lebron will leave the floor to thunderous rage and hate, like he came in to. I also think Sideshow will take a flagrant on him at some point too….although I won’t be surprised if Bron shy’s away from any type of overextension leaving the floor. BTW, this game would have WAY more dramatics if Delonte was still there.

  • http://www.borntocompete.com Money$hot

    I never seen so much hatred toward one ball player in my life time. They act like he raped somebody or committed a crime. The media asks Lebron a question, he answers it, and then its dissected and just over analyzed then people hate on him. Can we just concentrate on the NBA season

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    I just hope nobody gets hurt, nobody does anything stupid, and if LBJ’s family shows up, I hope none of them gets disrespected physically… Especially not his mom and his sons.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    I think he kid of clarified that he won’t have his family there. I hope he doesn’t either.

  • Jose

    Lebron should toss up some black chalk

  • Sizzle

    Something bad is going to happen, Cleveland can’t and won’t get over it. They were living vicariously through LeBron and now they have to live through Ramon Sessions.

  • The Philosopher

    LONG… LIVE… THE KING!!!

  • http://brimartin13@gmail.com Brion

    ^ is that suppose to be funny? or just racist?

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Sizzle FTW.
    I actually chuckled out loud at that.

  • http://brimartin13@gmail.com Brion

    (joses post)

  • http://slamonline.com Rocksinmypants

    I dont like lebron as the person we know from stories by the media but you cant hat the game. I say he should just embrace the villain role, get the chalk and throw that ish on the floor and stomp all over it. Then and only then do I respect the man.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Eboy -Eniggy? Eh…not sure how I feel bout that one, LOL. But yeah, hopefully dude will not have any family there. His kids especially don’t deserve any harsh treatment from anyone. But there’s always some knuckleheads who take sports waaaaay too seriously.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Brion – I’ma keep it real, I don’t know in what context Jose’s post was, but why the hell whenever any color is substituted for black, it’s gotta be racist?

  • The Philosopher

    The price of being…
    THE KING!
    I am too bored right now.
    Please pardon my immense AND reckless stupidity, SLAM brethren.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Negative Kreep

    WOW. Just 17 games deep,and Slams various Heat bandwaggoners are all crying uncle! Allenp said “For an world-weary egomaniac dude is incredibly naive about certain things.” You could say the same thing about his fanbase. T-Money and The Fresh Prince though have gone a step further, directing an open complaint to the editor of Slam about Bryan Crawford. The other threatening to think before he buys Slam because of what BC types ONLINE. You fan boys are too funny, and either read everything thru your bron goggles OR have not read Slam long enough to know that Ben Osbourne the ED has often been unable to give a certain 2 gaurd a compliment without first qualifying, or fallowed by a backhanded remark. How about the “enigma” write up by Ryne were you a reader then? god forbid a write up with negetive things to say on bron actually manifests itself in the actual mag. This just proves what we’ve known for a long time. Most Bron fans like himself are spoiled frontrunners used to getting their way,but too mentally weak to handle the HATE.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    Im officially a fan of his now, Negative, so don’t generalize. It’s not accurate. I like the hate….I can’t wait to unleash it back on the masses once the time’s right. All I’ve got is time…..

  • LeBron de Con

    I’m afraid I’ll wet my shorts on the court when we play Cleveland. I’m bringing Gloria, my momma, jus in case peoples be mean to myself.

  • LeBron de Con

    …and it’s all Spo’s fault. He doesn’t like myself, how I roll

  • LeBron de Con

    Eboy is my pet money. He be officially my but-boy right now.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    Last time I pet money, it was sticking out of a Brazilian strippers hole.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    OK, now “LeBron de Con”‘s post, now THOSE can be called racist.

  • PapaBearATL

    I thought Cleveland was the epitomy of Blue Collar grind it out types. A contract ended, a basketball player went to another team… The End. Stop acting like he stomped on your puppy, kicked your kitten and punched a baby. Cav fans as a whole should just ‘man up’.

  • LeBron de Con

    EBoy be flocking hole of myself.

  • LeBron de Con

    Racist?!? Eboy can vouch for the audacity of myself.

  • bike

    If LeBron had a little Jordan/Bird in him, he would torch Cavs for 60,20,15 and Heat win by 50. Later in the post game interview, he graciously thanks the hometown fans for ‘providing me the motivation to crush your team, embarass your city, and shut my haters up’.

  • The Wize

    still on about “showcasing his talent” what a cnut

  • http://www.slamonline.com Negative Kreep

    Eboy: Of course you’re a fan, he’s a HEAT player your a Heat fan NOT a bandwaggoner wich is why i said “most Bron fans” not all, that would be a generalization. As you said, it’s been a while since you were in “Kobe rant mode” i suspect because you forsawe the hipocrisy continuing that fight knowing you were going to be dealing with the exact ‘hateteraid’ having Bron on your squad calling out cats on the regular for doing the same sh!t. Besides you fought the “fine fight” for years on these threads hating on Kobe & lakerfans is old shoe when you suddenly have a superteam to root for and defend. To make a short story long, your rants while inspiring morons like J******21 and countless others to jump in have help make this website entertaining to read because even if i dont agree with you 50% of the time, you know how to make your points and get guys typing. I know you think Lakerfans are mostly all Kobe “slurpers” who lack knowledge and what not but after the years of hate were STILL here choppin it up with you. But as i see it So far alot of lebron fans are johnny come lately types that 17 games in are B*tching like they’ve loyally dealt with this hate for years. What do you think about that?

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    I think you’re correct.

  • Scottie Pimpin

    i know lebron did cleveland wrong, but now they want to chant scottie pippen at him, like thats some sort of diss.

    i can see why lebron left these morons to take his talent to south beach, they’re disrespectful and have no concept of whos who , and whats what in the NBA.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    I would think chanting “Scottie Pippen” would be viewed as a compliment…for any NBA small forward.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    ^Me too.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Negative Kreep
    Not sure how I’m crying uncle.
    Did you read the piece I did about LeBron and the race issue? I mentioned his massive ego and protective bubble in their as well. I just assumed he would have expected the hate he’s received given his past and I’m surprised he’s not.
    This whole “fan boy” thing is hilarious. If you dispute a point I made, break it down using logic preferably. If you can’t then calling me a fan boy is just a cop out.
    I still think the Heat will contenders come playoff time. From the jump, I said that Boston was the deeper team, but with Miami’s talent in the Big Three they can possibly upset the Celtics.
    I haven’t wavered from that and won’t until the season is over.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    One thing I’m amazed by all this is how many reputable and respected news sources are writing entire articles about whether or not dude his gonna do his chalk-toss thing that he jacked from KG way back in the days.

  • http://www.slamonline.com/online/blogs/farmer-jones/ Ryan Jones

    I really didn’t see Dolphins-Browns being such a big deal around here.

  • http://www.need4sheed.com Tarzan Cooper

    Lebron would be lucky to have the same success vince has had vs toronto. Vince has had some great games including a couple game winners

  • T-Money

    Tarzan: why would he be lucky to have success vs. a non playoffs team? not sure I understand. Because of the pressure? For the first game, maybe, but after that? At the end of the day, it’s still AP, J-Moon and Joey Graham guarding him. // Allen: The UD loss doesn’t really change things for me as I’m not sold it’s a good idea to have him and Bosh out there together for long stretches. Bosh looked really good next to a bruiser like Damp the other day. Watch out when Mike Miller comes back though.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Negative Kreep

    @Allen i paraphrased what you said NOT because i think you are a “fanboy” but because you brought out a good point that i wanted to expand on. As far as you personally,i did not and would not consider someone as yourself who always provides reason and logic per your arguments a “fanboy” or a “bandwaggoner”. Seeing as how you have explained that you don’t root for any “team/company” as apposed to the actual player. However that does not change how i feel about the majority of LeBron fans on this site being fanboys and bandwagonners crying uncle over what 1 guy (BC) has been writting.ONE GUY. Thats BS to me and these guys haven’t paid dues to b*tch yet,as fans and cant handle the very limited amount of criticism that right or wrong has come thier way .i.e. “fanboys” “bandwagonners”.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Negetivekreep

    @ ALL YOU GUYS HERE NEED TO GET A LIFE AND STOP TALKING ABOUT LEBRON AND KOBE. LET THEM TALK SH*T TO EACHOTHER SINCE THEY GET PAID TO PLAY IN THE NBA.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Negative Kreep

    ^^^This is not me.

Advertisement