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CLEVELAND – LeBron James sweaters of matching colors were hung inside the Cavaliers team shop, their retail price decreased by 40%.
Eight years ago, some people were still smoking in the streets. announced that he is leaving Cleveland as a free agent for the second time since 2010, anger has given way to acceptance. There was still a deep disappointment that the best player in the world – Akron, Ohio, born and bred – is leaving, this time for the lights of Los Angeles and a chance to play with the Lakers.
The pain is real. Cleveland is coming out a lot better.
"It hurts at first, but it will be fine," said Dave Howes, who runs Harry Buffalo, a sports bar and restaurant just across from Quicken Loans Arena. "We will talk about it again."
If a city knows how to make a comeback, it is this one. Cleveland, once a source of nationwide jokes, is thriving with new hotels, boutiques, condominiums and trendy microbreweries popping up on both sides of the Cuyahoga River. Millennia have flocked to live in previously neglected neighborhoods transformed into thriving neighborhoods with trendy artistic and artistic scenes.
A horizon line once dotted with industrial chimneys now houses glittering residential buildings. There are new builds everywhere, including at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cavs, which is undergoing a $ 140 million renovation
Nothing looks like what it's like. he was a few years ago.
James did it. The LeBron effect. He put Cleveland on the map, changing the city's collective psyche and keeping his promise by winning a championship in 2016 – the first in the city since 1964.
No wonder some have a hard time saying goodbye. But James's criticism was more discreet this time
Two other sports figures in Cleveland understood the reasons for his departure:
"If someone gave me $ 154 million, I would go probably somewhere too. " I said. "I will miss him, because I liked to go to the games when he was playing, it is hard to blame anyone, he deserved it."
Stipe Miocic, heavyweight champion UFC, was confident that his hometown would defend itself.
"Everything will be fine," said Miocic in preparing his fight against Daniel Cormier at UFC 226. "The city is alive now. good food, good bars, good places to go, and I think it's going to stay that way for a long time now.The Browns are doing the moves.The Indians are playing well.This is not just the case of the Cavs "[Lundi1965] As news of James' departure continued to sink into another hot summer day, Sherwin-Williams announced that Nike was planning to pull out the 10-story banner. James's side of the global head office of the paint company that had become a landmark and a symbol of renewal.
The massive fresco, which shows James in his No. 23 jersey with his head and arms extended as if to accommodate In 1965, Tom Valentino of Painesville, Ohio, took some pictures for posterity.
"I discovered it was down, and it's kind of an iconic image here in Cleveland, so I wanted to make sure I looked at it well. and took some pictures before going away, "he says.
Like many Cleveland sports fans, Valentino was at first disappointed to hear James would not be disappointed. if Gning with the Cavs But by digesting this new reality, Valentino chose to reflect on James' lasting legacy
"Oh, man. Where do you start? "He said." The phrase you hear from LeBron is that it's bigger than basketball. I really took this to heart as Clevelander and Northeast Ohioan, and just everything that he brought to our city and our community and our region.
"And let's be honest, basketball was a lot of fun. Whenever you went to play, you never knew what you were going to see from him, an incredible piece, the buzzer drummers and all that he had brought to the city.
"It was just something else."
And it will never be the same again.
Without James, the Cavs instantly passed title contenders to a team that will just fight for the playoffs. They fell on the scale of the three teams in the city behind the AL Central Indians who have not won the World Series since 1948 but ahead of the dismal Browns, who had a record of 0-16 last season but are optimistic about their future. 19659025] Without James, these bars and restaurants that are full of fans during gaming nights should hope that Cleveland will stay with the Cavs.
"It might fall, but everything will be fine," Howes said, looking around him. crowd at lunch time. "Cleveland sports fans love their teams – thick and thin – I mean watch the Browns – we always sell the games."
After LA's choice of LA was announced, Valentino's phone was filled with friends texts that weighed on the decision. "There was no hatred towards James, but gratitude.
" I can not speak for everyone, but I know that it's a good thing. I feel, "he said." It was so overwhelming when he left in 2010 because it was like we were so close to getting that title. And the thing that I came back to these last years is June 19, 2016 (Game 7 of the Finals) which was the most perfect sporting moment of my life.
when it happened that it would never be better than that. And to make the experience, I do not know what you could ask for more.
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Greg Beacham, AP Sports Writer in Los Angeles and Kansas City freelance journalist Alan Eskew contributed to this report ___
More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/ tags / NBAbasketball
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