The Promised Land??

I'm not really shocked nor surprised at Cleveland's owner, Dan Gilbert, and his intemperate comments and on-line letter posted to the Cavalier's web-site following LeBron's announcement.

It reminds me of the reaction most slaveholders had when their slaves were freed from their involuntary servitude at the end of the Civil War - "How dare they leave the wonderful life we provided for them? - If it wasn't for us, they would still be savages in Africa swinging from the trees in the jungle - they are totally ungrateful! - we even noticed that in the last couple of years they quit on us, probably figuring they would be freed soon - they will regret leaving because they will carry our curse on them wherever they go - where is their love for us and appreciation for the free clothing, food and shelter we provided all their lives? - We should have been more firmer with them, something like tough-love, so they would not want to leave us even if they were legally freed...."

Compare the slaveholder's reaction to the quotes from the interview and letter to the fans by Gilbert -

"...our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. This was announced with a 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."

"You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal. - You have given so much and deserve so much more." "I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels."

"Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there. - Sorry, but that's simply not how it works. This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become."

"The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma."

"It's not about him leaving. It's the disrespect. It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children? I've been holding this all in for a long time. "

"He has gotten a free pass," Gilbert said in a phone interview with The AP. "People have covered up for [James] for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."

"He quit," Gilbert said. "Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar."

"LeBron James needs to go to another team with two superstars already so he can win a championship," Gilbert said. "We will win a championship before [the Heat] do."

"Gilbert said he now wishes he had done some things differently with James, who spent seven seasons with the Cavs..."

The comments by Gilbert are those of typical white supremecists, whose self-centered view of the world cannot conceive of blacks rejecting their crumbs, their supposed goodwill, their entreaties, etc. All of this is viewed by whites as disloyal, ungrateful, disrespectful, gross ingratitude, a betrayal, and to make it worse in their view, Lebron even dared to walk away from the $30 million more he would have been paid had he stayed.

Astonishingly, Gilbert even invoked religious imagery of Heaven and how you had to die to get there, as a metaphor for saying that LeBron didn't put in enough time, didn't work hard enough and struggle enough in Cleveland, before he could expect to reach the promised land of Heaven (an NBA championship).

Notice how he also mockingly called him "King" [James] and how he used the same racist, dismissive term, "chosen one", that was used against President Obama by his opponents, during and after his presidential run. And notice how Gilbert conveniently forgot to thank LeBron for the billions he made from the hundreds of sold-out games and millions from ancillary sales - solely due to the presence of LeBron on the Cavalier's roster.

LeBron James is very fortunate that he made the right decision to exercise his right of free agency, and leave the Cavaliers for Miami. Had he not done so, he might never have known how racist, patronizing, and unappreciative, the owner and many of the Cleveland 'fans' really are.