You see, until LeBron, that noted sociologist, cleared it all up for us this week, I had simply assumed the negative reaction to his jilting Cleveland for Miami — and his resulting decline in popularity — stemmed from how he betrayed an entire region, including his hometown of Akron.
Remember how he seemed to do this with that laughable July “press conference” on ESPN and that faux journalist, Jim Gray, being paid to “interview” him? And how he skipped town and announced he was “taking my talents to South Beach” without so much as a courtesy call to Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert before “The Decision” aired?
Or maybe you remember how LeBron stomped on the heart of a long-suffering fan base that had supported him unconditionally for seven years and naively believed it when he said he wanted to win an NBA title as much for them as for himself, never dreaming he would quit in a playoff game.
At the time, those all seemed like fairly valid reasons to light a LeBron jersey on fire, or at least turn a cold shoulder to him for eternity.
Thanks for setting us straight, LeBron.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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