Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Thanked LeBron James For Delivering Cleveland A Championship

LeBron James’ second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers officially came to an end on Sunday night as he chose to take his talents to Los Angeles, agreeing to a four-year max deal with the Lakers.

With that move, the Lakers immediately became a contender in the West, although still behind the Warriors and Rockets on the odds sheet, and the Cavaliers fell back into general obscurity among the league’s worst teams at 500-1 to win the title. Still, the general tenor out of Cleveland with LeBron’s departure this time around was far different than in 2010, when people were burning James jerseys in the streets.

This time, there was a feeling of thankfulness for LeBron coming back and delivering them a championship in 2016, fulfilling the chief promise in his return letter in 2014. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who penned the infamous Comic Sans letter to fans in 2010, released a statement just after midnight on Monday that echoed that change from Cavs fans and thanked LeBron for the last four years and the title.

It’s clear that Gilbert’s responses take their cues from the fans. The first time was a defiant, angry response to feeling scorned by LeBron, which was how most fans felt, even if Gilbert should have known better than to send out such a letter. This time around, he knows no one wants to blame LeBron for anything, as he brought the city its first title in over 50 years.

For once, Gilbert has said the right thing publicly, but it won’t save him from the wrath of Cavs fans that feel like he’s a major part of LeBron’s departure. He spent money, for sure, but they’ve known since James came back that the relationship with Gilbert was always a tenuous one — it’s why he signed short-term deals to keep pressure on Gilbert to continue spending. He avoids bringing any more heat on himself with this response, but it won’t turn the court of public opinion in his favor either.