Dear LeBron,

I’ll admit that this whole circus around your free agency has driven me up a wall. About seven months ago I declared that I didn’t care about any of the hushed whispers and rumors about Jay-Z (love the Jigga Man) whisking you off to Brooklyn or about you partying in South Beach with Dwyane Wade.

I refused to listen to any of it because NONE of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was what YOU had to say. Your final decision.

On July 1st I promptly yanked my head out of the sand, shook the dust out of my ears, pulled out my #23 jersey, and started to listen to all the so-called experts. Each with an opposing take on the situation. I, along with thousands of other Cleveland Cavalier fans in Ohio and across the country, began my vigil, holding my breath, waiting for you to give me the good news.

That you remembered your promise to put Akron and Cleveland on the map. That you would finally deliver the championship that has eluded us for long. That this is your home. And though you are loved around the world, you feel it most strongly in Ohio where we each hold a special sense of pride. Many talented people (Bob Hope, Paul Newman, Erma Bombeck, Doris Day, Thomas Edison, Steven Spielberg, Gloria Steinem) once called Ohio their home. Yet, for some reason you seem more a native son than any of them.

We have watched you since your years at St. Vincent – St. Mary High School, beaming with pride because the “Chosen One” of the NBA was one of our own. We rejoiced in a way this town hadn’t known in so long over signing you as the first round draft pick. We marveled as you delivered, like no young athlete had before you. Living up to the hype, then adding a few mad moves on top of it, just because you could.

We’ve celebrated every milestone with you. Watched you break one record after another in the NBA. We didn’t even mind when you smashed the Cavs records of our beloved Cavalier greats. Because you were our LeBron.

Now we will all wait, knees shaking, hearts thumping, wondering if you will stay in Cleveland, in the city and state where you are so admired and loved – not just for your skills on the court, but your generosity and commitment to your community. I will even DVR my beloved Burn Notice and watch with my Cavalier brethren as you render your decision.

I know that you’ve already made up your mind, but I just had to throw out one last plea. I wanted to remind you how much we appreciate the thrills and joy you’ve given us over the past seven years. We respect you and your decision to do what is best for you and your family. But, if it’s not too much to ask, we request that you give us another chance.

You want to win a championship and we want that for you, too. But wouldn’t it be great if we could all get what we want RIGHT HERE in Cleveland? We’re not asking you to commit to us forever (though, don’t get me wrong, that would be awful nice). What we are asking for is just a few more years to work things out and get them exactly right.

You need a championship. I get that. But so does this town.

Cleveland is a city that is so often maligned by outsiders, like Charles Barkley and Joakim Noah. But the worst is the internal negativity that is often bred among Cleveland natives. We say things like, ‘Nothing good ever happens in Cleveland.’ ‘This is the kind of thing that can only happen in Cleveland.’ ‘Cleveland is just so unlucky.’ Worse still, is how these feelings are evidenced in our everyday lives.

The City of Cleveland needs a championship. The State of Ohio needs a championship. We need you, the right coach, and the right cast of characters to make it happen. The fans are committed. The Cavs ownership is committed. It is our hope that you are committed to it, too.

With great admiration and respect,

Roxanne Ravenel

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