cavfanatic.com/cavalette23

cavfanatic.com/cavalette23

LeBron:

First of all, I would like to wish you a Happy Birthday on December 30th!!!!...I am a native Clevelander, and you are one of the best things that ever happened to our city....I have been a big fan of yours, since you were at St. Vincent-St. Mary's...I remember the days when your High School would come to the then "Gund" Arena, have your games televised nationally on ESPN 2, and you and your " Irish" teammates would sell more tickets than the CAVS did at that time....I remember your first nationally televised interview (on ESPN), as a mature and articulate teen...You allowed ESPN to film you in your bedroom, and you pointed to your posters of Jordan and Kobe--then said that they were your two favorite players....Now, just look at yourself!!!!....You have grown into such a fine young man!!!...You are truly, the KING of both Cleveland and Akron!!!!!...

Secondly, I would like to honor your mom--Gloria James...I honor her, because she allowed us to WITNESS your great God-given talent....As a young, single-parent teen mom, she gave birth to the "CHOSEN-ONE, " and she raised you up to be the great success that you are today....I am so very proud of her also, because she overcame a lot of odds....

Third, I would like to honor you for all of your Humanitarism. And for being a mature, intelligent, and articulate young man...Also, I honor you for all  the success that you have achieved in life...When you were drafted to the CAVS, at 18 years of age, you single-handedly breathed life back into a dead city...You were responsible for putting people in the seats at the "Gund" Arena, increasing season ticket sales, and bringing people back downtown...You were responsible for increasing revenue to downtown Cleveland bars and restaurants...When a lot of people look at you, they see a Megastar, a franchise, a Marquee player, a superior athelete, and an endorsement powerhouse.....But, when I look at you, I see a HERO, a young African-American male who preservered  (beat all the inner-city odds) and made something special out of his life...

Fourth, I am also from the inner-city...And you are a role model for the youth...Someone in my  Glenville community, painted a Mural of successful Glenville Alumni who are now atheletes...The Mural depicts you, facing Heisman Trophy winner--Troy Smith, Ted Ginn, Jr., Coach Ted Ginn, Sr., Donte Witner, etc...Even though, you are not from this area, you give our youth hope!!!!!!

Fifth, I thank you for bringing joy back into Cleveland Sports....I am enjoying my ride on the Mighty "L-TRAIN," and I commend you and the rest of the Cavaliers on the awesome season that we are having.....I pray that we win a Championship in 2009!!!!...My late father was  the ultimate CAVS fanatic---a long-time Season Ticket Holder and Stock Holder with the Cavaliers. .. And he started taking me to CAVS games, when I was two years old!!!!!....I am very sadden that he died, before he got the chance to see you play professionally....So, when we finally win this Trophy, I will get two replicas---one for me, and one for him.....   

In conclusion, whatever the year 2010 brings for you, always remember your roots and all the great accomplishments that you have achieved in Akron/Cleveland....And know that I will always be your fan, I will always be a "WITNESS" and proudly wear my #23 Jerseys, and I will always cheer for you--no matter what the future holds....Thanks, for all that you do!!!!! 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!:  TO ALL CAVS PLAYERS, CAVS FANS, AND EVERYONE IN THE CAVS ORGANIZATION!!!!!

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/holiday_card.html

If you go back and look at some of the Classic NBA games (on ESPN), you will see that it was harder to win a Championship back in the 90s, 80s, 70s, etc, than it is today......Because the talent was much better than it is now, and the atheletes played for the love of the game.  Many of them didn't make all the multi-millions in contracts , shoe deals, and endorsements like they do now....I saw some great  classic games, that I would like to order and keep in my own DVD Library....Wilt Chamberlin, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, George "Ice Man" Gervin, Jabbar,  David "the Admiral" Robinson, Magic, Dr. J,  Jerry West, Bird, Jordan, Bill Walton, Walt Frazier, Bill Russell, Rodman, Isiah Thomas, Larry Johnson, Karl Malone, Pippen, Barkley, etc......Those guys played, and they played hard!!!...They had Sky-hooks, Finger-rolls, Monster "Glass Shattering"  Dunks,  Reverse Lay-ups, Showtime, No-look Passes, Alley-Ooops, Behind-the-back Passes, Crossovers, Downtown 3s, etc....etc...When you went to the arena to see them play, you got a show for real!!!....Aside from Lebron, Kobe, Chris Paul, Garnette, and a few others---guys in the NBA today can't even compare to the Legends of the NBA....Every professional athelete today, should be required to read Jim Brown's book titled : "Out of Bounds."  It tells of how players in his day were passionate about sports, and many of them had second jobs (truck drivers, etc.), because they didn't get paid a lot of money in sports... And they played injured....They suited up and played with sprained fingers, turf toes, sprained toes, concussions, etc...He said they  got a shot of pain medicine and got them toes and fingers wrapped up, then got back on the field and finished the game....If they had a concussion, they got some smelling salt, and got pointed in the right direction--back out on the field....Players were hard then....Many today are not....