If there was an actual lowest point of the bedlam and journalistic anarchy that surrounded LeBron James’s free agency for at least a month, it had to have been the day before The Decision 2.0, when Cleveland Cavaliers fans, fueled by desperation and emptiness, flocked to the NBA superstar’s Ohio home in preparation for an announcement that was never scheduled to be made. As soon as the first cars arrived and fans began acting like it is rational and sane to sit outside of someone’s home, the local media headed to the scene, while the Bath’s Township police had to send extra patrol units to keep everyone in order. Eventually, cars lined the entire street as fans in the James jerseys that they didn’t burn took selfies in front of a man’s home while at least one reporter Tweeted about being able to see children inside the home. And of course there was even a car accident.
The amazing part about it all? James was in Las Vegas the entire time, hosting his youth basketball camp and planning his escape to the World Cup in Brazil. He wasn’t scheduled to return to Ohio that day or even week, nor did anyone have reason to believe he’d be making an announcement that day. Instead, his decision to return to Cleveland came the next day via Sports Illustrated, and I can only imagine that the fans who camped out overnight somehow felt justified.
Obviously, James’s neighbors probably weren’t too thrilled to have such chaos and riff raff clogging their streets, so the man who calls himself King did the cool thing and sent all of them cupcakes from a local bakery this week with a card apologizing for everything.
Unfortunately, he didn’t sign it personally, so they can’t turn around and sell it for an obscene amount, but it’s the thought that counts. Redditor “scrabblydab” shared a photo of the note and cupcakes last night, claiming that his parents live on James’s street, and they sure do look delicious and sympathetic:
Unfortunately, these cupcakes did not come from Caroline’s, which was the same bakery that out-scooped all of the so-called journalists by going all-in on the King’s return two weeks before that SI report. Instead, according to the Akron Beacon Journal, these came from Boulevard Decadent Cupcakes and Desserts, where co-owner LaKisha Williams is helping to promote the “Just a Kid from Akron” cupcakes, of which 50 percent of the sales will support the LeBron James Foundation.
See kids, this is why it’s right to always hire the best PR people in the world to handle your free agency the second time around.
