8C • SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2014 NBA OMAHA WORLD-HERALD NOTES LeBron shows maturity in decision BY JIM LITKE what’s worth saying after everything out of bringing a group together and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS that’s already been said? helping them reach a place they didn’t Just that the next chapter in James’ know they could go.” This isn’t Brett Favre or Joe Mon- story will turn out to be worth every Parse the entire statement if you tana, or any other over-the-hill star penny — if not quite every word — want. But everything you need to — insert your own favorite here — that’s been lavished on him. know is in those last two sentences. shopping teams in search of one last Going back home to try to win a When James announced the original hurrah. championship after what some of his decision in 2010, no athlete in histo- In the NBA, one supremely talented neighbors put him through takes real ry ever held so much sway over his individual can make a world of differ- guts. It’s what plenty of us wanted sport without winning a title fi rst. The ence. LeBron James proved as much James to do the fi rst time around: Be- only thing he could rightly claim to by carrying his team into fi ve of the have like a real king: Dig in his heels be the king of was hype, hypocrisy past seven NBA Finals. What’s going and redouble his effort to patch the and stacking the deck by lighting out to make this quest for a championship cracks in the foundation of a Cavaliers for South Beach to join superfriends in Cleveland the best sports story franchise that spent more than seven Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. A few out there for some time is that he’s seasons and hundreds of millions of his tattoos — “Loyalty” and “330” committed to try to tip the balance of trying to build him a throne. (the Akron, Ohio, area code) — made power by himself, if need be, to pay That’s the way Michael Jordan, a mockery of his words as they spilled back all of those folks who nurtured Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Kobe out of his mouth. him from the start. Bryant got their championship rings. He’d been trying so hard to please “My goal is still to win as many We even held out hope at the time that the various constituencies he’d ac- titles as possible, no question. But James might give the Cavs a home- quired since coming into the league what’s most important for me is town discount, taking less money than that you wondered whether James bringing one trophy back to Northeast he was worth to free up cap space even knew what he really wanted. Ohio,” James said in a Sports Illustrat- down the road, the way Tim Duncan But the LBJ who returns four years ed fi rst-person story published Friday has done more than once. later is much different. announcing his decision to return to No disrespect to what James accom- For all of the grief he’s caught in THE ASSOCIATED PRESS the Cavaliers. plished in Miami: two NBA titles, two the four years since, James has been Free agent Chris Bosh was thought to be closing in on a max deal with “I always believed that I’d return to Finals MVPs and two more regu- a model citizen throughout — poised, Houston before sources indicated Friday he would be signing a similar Cleveland and fi nish my career there. lar-season MVPs, among others. But polite, accessible, generous with his contract with Miami. Bosh spent the past four seasons with the Heat. I just didn’t know when,” he said. it will be even better when he wins time and money, durable — and he Had James delayed the announce- another one this way. plays hard every night. He went to Sources: Bosh agrees they would like Stephenson back, ment much longer, the army of in-stu- “It will be a long process, much Miami four years ago because it would they also realize that the Pacers dio analysts and on-scene reporters longer than it was in 2010,” he wrote be easier to win a title. He returns to to max deal with Heat must fi nd more scoring punch deployed by every media outlet on the in SI. “My patience will get tested. I Cleveland knowing exactly how hard — with or without Stephenson — planet would need catheters to stay know that. I’m going into a situation it will be. If you want to call that matu- Chris Bosh said countless after the Heat eliminated Indiana on the job. If nothing else, that part of with a young team and a new coach. I rity, and put that quality at the top of times in recent weeks that he in the playoffs each of the past our long national nightmare is over. So will be the old head. But I get a thrill the list, you’ll get no argument here. did not want to leave Miami. three years. Not even LeBron James’ departure changed his mind. Knicks waive Odom, And shortly after the Heat — LeBron James in letter to Sports Illustrated took a King-sized hit, their future re-sign Aldrich “I feel my calling here goes above basketball. ... I’m coming home.” started coming together. NEW YORK — The New York Bosh is staying in Miami, Knicks waived veteran forward agreeing Friday to a fi ve-year Lamar Odom and re-signed contract that will be worth center Cole Aldrich. about $118 million, said two Knicks President Phil Jackson people familiar with the deal. signed Odom, who played for They spoke to the Associated him in Los Angeles, at the end of Press on condition of anonymity last season. But the former Sixth because neither side had Man of the Year never played a confirmed it publicly. game for New York. Keeping Bosh addresses one Jackson said Friday in a of Miami’s top priorities after statement: “Unfortunately, getting the news earlier in the Lamar was unable to uphold the day that James was leaving standards to return as an NBA the Heat and returning to the player. We found it necessary to Cleveland Cavaliers. free up the roster spot.” There’s still plenty of work But the Knicks are keeping for Heat President Pat Riley to Aldrich, who averaged 2.0 points do, however. But fi rst, he and and 2.8 rebounds in 46 games the team lauded what James last season. meant to them over the last four seasons. “While I am disappointed Suns get guard Th omas by LeBron’s decision to leave in sign-and-trade deal Miami, no one can fault another person for wanting to return PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns home,” Riley said in a statement agreed to a sign-and-trade deal Friday night. “The last four years with the Sacramento Kings for have been an incredible run for point guard Isaiah Thomas, two South Florida, Heat fans, our people with knowledge of the organization and for all of the situation said Friday. players who were a part of it. The people, who sought LeBron is a fantastic leader, anonymity because the deal has athlete, teammate and person, not been officially announced, and we are all sorry to see him say Thomas is signing a four- go.” year, $27 million contract. In Next up for the Heat: More exchange, the Kings get the draft than likely, it’s a deal with rights to center Alex Oriakhi, a Dwyane Wade, who has spent second-round draft pick of the all 11 of his NBA seasons in Suns in 2013, plus a $7 million Miami. Wade and Miami were trade exception. negotiating a new contract Friday, Thomas was a restricted THE ASSOCIATED PRESS a move that was expected from free agent who was in Phoenix Graphic designer Alvin Smith holds up a poster across the street from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, heralding the return of LeBron James to the the moment the 2006 NBA meeting with the Suns on NBA’s Cavaliers. News of James’ return triggered a spontaneous downtown celebration during Friday’s lunch hour. Finals MVP opted out of a deal Thursday and Friday. that would have paid him about The Kings were not expected $42 million during the next two to match any offer sheet for LeBron: seasons. Thomas after agreeing to a James, Cavs’ owner work out their differences “I know where I’m going,” Wade three-year, $15 million deal with Continued from Page 1 WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING was in Las Vegas earlier this told the AP on Thursday, one day free agent Darren Collison last A sampling of the reaction to LeBron James returning to Cleveland: week, James met with Heat before James let the world know week. With Friday’s agreement, “I looked at other teams, but I President Pat Riley, the archi- wasn’t going to leave Miami for that he was going elsewhere. the Kings at least get something “YESSSSSSSS!! Couldn’t be happier for my guy @KingJames and the @ tect who assembled Miami’s anywhere except Cleveland,” While Miami is working to get a for Thomas. cavs #Cleveland.” back-to-back championship he said to SI. “The more time Wade deal fi nalized, it’s unclear In other news: — Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns quarterback teams. passed, the more it felt right.