LeBron James has officially left his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, for the Los Angeles Lakers, a move that has resulted in Angelenos losing their minds and Golden State Warriors fans being aggressively nonchalant. Most remarkably, it has sparked an extremely chill and gracious letter from Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who offered his MVP kind pleasantries like "words do not express the meaning and feeling" that the team's 2016 championship "brought to the people of Northeast Ohio" and that "none of this would have happened if LeBron James did not agree to come back home and lead the Cavaliers to the promised land."
Of course, this is a dramatic change from the last time Gilbert had to address James' departure from the Cavaliers, in 2010, when he went to the Miami Heat. In scathing comic sans font, Gilbert had written then of James' "several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his 'decision' unlike anything ever 'witnessed' in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Nigel Hamilton's 6 inspirational books for fellow writersFeature The award-winning author recommends works by John Banville, Ann Patchett, and more
-
The winners and losers in Gaetz's rise and fallThe Explainer The implosion of Donald Trump's first pick to run the Department of Justice was part fluke, part feature and part forecast of the president-elect's incoming administration
-
6 outstanding homes for under $600KFeature Featuring heated concrete floors in New Mexico and an outdoor movie screen in Washington, D.C.
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 winsspeed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
