the self-declared former 'King'
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has come a long way from 2010, comic sans, and bitter sarcasm
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."
That letter also contained vicious send-offs like "some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there" and "the self-declared former 'King' will be taking the 'curse' with him down south." James has said as recently as 2017 that Gilbert's letter still "pops" into his head sometimes.
Apparently all it took was James' delivery on his promise to bring Cleveland a title for Gilbert to drop the comic sans and wish James the best. "We look forward to the retirement of the famous #23 Cavs jersey one day down the line..." Gilbert said in Monday's letter. Read it in full here.