Statement by Mayor Don Plusquellic Published: Friday, July 09, 2010 As a life-long fan of Cleveland’s major league teams, I’m extremely disappointed in LeBron’s decision to leave the Cavaliers. Like everyone else in northeast Ohio, I was hoping he would stay and win his first NBA championship here.Many parents have the experience of watching their children leave home to develop careers elsewhere. It’s a fact of life in today’s world. Indeed, it’s been true of many other celebrity athletes and entertainers. Akron’s James Ingram went to New York to become a grammy-winning singer. Melina Kanakarides went to Los Angeles to be nominated for an Emmy. Chrissie Hynde moved to London to become an international rock star with “The Pretenders.” What they all had in common was that they’ve never forgotten that Akron is their home. And just as Nate Thurmond became a hall-of-famer playing for Golden State and Gus Johnson earned NBA honors while playing for Baltimore, both men left Central-Hower with the knowledge that Akron always had their back. And both gave back to their hometown. Even Thurmon Munson left home to join the dreaded Yankees – but the people of Canton loved him and honored him, as he gave back to his hometown, just as we will thank LeBron for the contributions he has made to Akron and will continue to do so in the future – to the town he has said he will always call “home.” Nevertheless, just know that when Cleveland plays Miami, I’ll still be rooting for the Cavaliers.
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