by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
LeBron James was in Miami, eating at a restaurant with his best friend, Maverick Carter. Inside the restaurant there were roughly 30 Cleveland Browns fans who decided to taunt James during dinner. The group started chanting the word "traitor" over and over again at James until they were asked to leave. After they left the restaurant, the group even waited outside for James to leave with his friend. Using wise judgment, James left out a side entrance to avoid a confrontation.
I'm not sure why LeBron's case has stood out so readily for Cleveland sports fans. He's not the first player to leave a team to take another deal. He's also the guy who gave seven years of his heart to the city of Cleveland. To some extent, Cavs fans are reminding LeBron of his greatness when they cling onto him like a long lost parent. If he were a mediocre player, they wouldn't be nearly this emotional.
