Not for a King's Ransom

A good man is hard to find, but a hometown hero is even harder. Consider the criteria: a hometown hero has to be at the top of his profession and exciting to watch; he has to be local and embody the values of his home; and he has to be a role model, the kind kids grow up wishing they could be. In professional sports, not surprisingly, the list is pretty small. In fact, it’s pretty much limited to two players: the NBA’s LeBron James and MLB’s Joe Mauer. Both were MVPs of their respective leagues last season. Both are straight out of high school, phenoms who skipped college to go straight to the pros—though both had the talent to play Division I football. (The only athlete to ever be named USA Today’s Player of the Year in two sports, Mauer turned down an offer from Florida State.) In the course of their amateur and professional careers, neither has strayed from his home allegiances. Mauer decided that now wasn’t the time to start—the Twins’ catcher just inked an eight-year $184 million deal.

It’s not time for James to leave home either.

It seems like an idealistic argument—and an unfair one. What place do I have to tell LeBron to choose the Cavalier fans over his own finances?

Well, he shouldn’t pay for pennies. If he is expected to make a commitment to his city, then his city has to show its commitment to him and pony up some serious dough. It’s hard to believe that the Cavaliers, who keep arming themselves with better and better players to get a championship, including four-time NBA Finals champion Shaquille O’Neal, won’t be willing to spend significant amounts of money on him. But if it comes down to a good deal with Cleveland, and a slightly better deal with another team, the wise decision for James, himself, would be to stay with the Cavaliers.

In fact, one might argue that by staying in Cleveland, James is supporting his family—the one that made him the basketball player he is today. James is a product of Akron, Ohio, just 36 miles from Cleveland. As his book “Shooting Stars,” which he coauthored with Buzz Bissinger, makes clear, despite James’s talent, much of his success wouldn’t have been possible if not for the support of those around him, especially his coach Dru Joyce Jr.

James is also an influential community presence, through his LeBron James Family Foundation, which he and his mother Gloria founded in 2007, but this is largely dependent on the fact that he plays in the community. The Foundation runs an annual bikeathon in Akron and has installed play areas across the country. The Foundation says its mission is to empower children and single-parent families. How could James expect to accomplish these missions and have his good intentions ring true if he abandons Cleveland for a bigger market?

On the other hand, if he stays in Cleveland, James can solidify himself as the most beloved figure in the city’s sports history. If he wants an example, he can just look at the warm embrace Mauer is experiencing right now in Minnesota. If the catcher continues to display prowess behind the plate, he will rank with two-time World Series champion Kirby Puckett, perhaps even above him given Mauer’s St. Paul roots.

If LeBron James stays with the Cavaliers, he’ll be right up there with…himself. James brings hope for sports glory to a city best known for the Drive, the Fumble, and the Shot—all heartbreakers. Rightly or wrongly, he’s come to be acknowledged as “The Chosen One,” or the one that can deliver Cleveland from its status as “Most Tortured Sports City,” as ESPN named it in 2004. But when James hits free agency, he’ll be the choosing one, and he’ll have to decide between the chance to make history in his hometown and the chance to be just another basketball player, wearing a jersey of a city that means nothing to him.

Christina C. McClintock ’12, a Crimson sports writer, is a government concentrator in Adams House.