Yes, you read correctly.  Damon Jones is the 5th greatest Cavalier of all-time (of the last 15 years).  There's not really a whole lot room for of debate on this one.  Although not currently with an NBA team, Damon is quite a talented player and made his impact on the Cavaliers organization, while exuding a prodigious amount of swagger that P Diddy could only dream of. 

Damon was born in the great state of Texas in 1976.  He played his high-school ball for the Ball High Gordon Tornadoes, and was such a good perimeter shooter that he single-handedly helped create a popular cheer.  "Three's Please!" the crowd would chant, and Jones would deliever more times than not.  He graduated high school in 1994 and decided to stay in-state, playing his college basketball for the University of Houston. 

Damon Jones would only play 3 years at Houston and still left as the school's all-time leader in 3 point field goals.  After his junior season he decided to take his talents to the NBA, and effectively declared himself eligible for the 1998 NBA Draft.  Little did he know that no team wanted him, as he went undrafted. 

Jones eventually signed with the New Jersey Nets and would bounce around the league in his first few years in the Association.  All before 2004, he wore the jerseys of the Nets, Celtics, Warriors, the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pistons, as well as the Kings and then Bucks.  He probably racked up some solid frequent flyer miles just by being traded alone. 

DJ would finally find a team he would have a significant impact on when he signed with the Miami Heat for 2004-2005 season.  It was in Miami that he would see career highs in minutes (31 per game) and points (11 per game).  He also shot 43% from behind the 3 point line.  The Cleveland Cavaliers took notice and decided to give Jones a 4 year, $16 million dollar contract for his services. 

Bringing in Damon was part of an ongoing effort to surround LeBron with excellent perimeter shooting, and Jones was just the man for the job.  He made a career sitting at the 3 point line, waiting for a pass to come his way, as Shaq and then LeBron drew double teams.  It's no surprise that the supremely self-confident Jones would become famous for his proclamation, "I am the Best Shooter in the World." He would later refer to himself as the "Black Brad Pitt." 

Damon brought a new level of excitement to the Cavaliers that meshed well with the emergence of Cleveland as a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference.  Damon's most notable performance of his career in a Cavalier uniform undoubtedlty came on May 5, 2006.  DJ has not been seeing much of any playing time in the playoffs, but was inserted into Game 6 vs. the Washington Wizards in the 1st round of the playoffs, late in the game.  How late?  DJ came off the bench in overtime, and in his first minute of action he hit the game-winning shot to bounce the Wizards out of the playoffs.  LeBron would show his apprecation.

Less was made of another game, my personal favorite of his time in Cleveland.  On November 13th, 2006, Damon would play one of the best games of his career. 

The Cavaliers traveled to Madison Square Garden to dominate the Knicks.  Everyone expected LeBron to tear the roof off of the building he says he loves playing in.  Enter Damon Jones, who in this game would match King James with 29 points, setting a franchise record for 3 pointers in a half making 7 of 10.  Jones was simply on fire, and and I could not have been happier as I sat there watching Damon light up the Knicks at basketball-mecca MSG.  Damon definitely let the crowd know about it too. 

Although he would never average more than 6 points per game in any of his 3 seasons with the Cavaliers, Damon was one of the most exciting players on the team to watch.  His high leg-kick to back off defenders, and "Three's on a platter" made him a fan-favorite, and Damon was truthfully my second favorite player on our team from 05-08.

Another interesting fact about Damon is that he sold his soul (or sole) to the Chinese company "Li Ning" for his shoe deal.  Much like LeBron, he had aspirations to become an international business man and make his name known around the globe.  He truly marketed himself as the greatest shooter in the world, whether or not that statement was justified (it wasn't).  Damon was the first NBA player to ink a shoe-deal with a Chinese company. 

D-Jones is also known for his outlandish wardrobe selection;  He has been seen in some of the most inexplicable outfits ever seen.  Damon on the NBA dress code:  "I created the dress code. I am the dress code. A lot of guys were upset about the fact we had to put suits on. But when you go into the business world, you have to be presentable, you can’t go into a Fortune 500 company with jeans, a T-shirt and do-rag on your head."

Another great quote from DJ came after a game where he played against the best player in NBA history, Michael Jordan.  Listen to him recall his first on-court conversation with Michael Jordan:

“I told him if he left me open again that I was going to burn him,” Jones said.  “He looked at me like, ‘Do you know who I am?"

“So he left me open again,” Jones said, “and I burned him.”

Damon was one of the most colorful players in NBA history and took trash-talking to another level.  He never underestimated his abilities, which made him highly quotable and he became regarded as one of the most comedic players in the league.  The Cleveland Cavaliers were the only team in his career that he would play consecutive seasons for.  Damon Jones is a Cavalier-Legend in my book.  Damon Jones is Underrated

                    

Enough time has passed.  Resuming the countdown, we arrive at the 6th greatest Cavalier of all-time, Andre Miller.  Andre had several years with the Cavs where he was one of the few consistent players who legitimately deserved to have the prestige of representing the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Andre was born 34 years ago in Los Angeles, California.  The 6 foot 2" point guard played all 4 years at the University of Utah, something you rarely see great players do now-a-day's. 

In 1998, Andre led Utah to the NCAA championship, where they lost to Kentucky.  He had the pleasure of playing alongside the great Keith Van Horn.  Miller also made headlines when he had a rare triple-double in the NCAA tournament.  Unlike a select few un-educated players in Miami, Andre actually has a college degree as he earned his Bachelors in Sociology. 

The Cavaliers saw real upside with Miller and drafted him with the 8th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.  In his rookie season, he started 36 games and quickly proved his worth on the court.  Andre averaged an impressive 11 points per game, to go along with almost 6 assists.

After the Cavaliers moved Shawn Kemp out of the picture, this was pretty much Andre's team.  In the 2000-2001 season he would lead the Cavaliers in points scored.  He averaged 15.8 per game, on a team with Lamond Murray, Wesley Person, Trajan Langdon, and Brevin Knight.  Unfortunately, that year the Cavaliers weren't exactly playoff-caliber, as the 30-52 record might suggest. 

After the season, coach Randy Wittman was replaced and in came John Lucas.  Andre was already established as the starting point guard and his numbers would only get better.  He shot 45% from the field that year, and led the Cavaliers in just a few minor categories: games played, minutes played, assists, field goals attempted, free throws attempted, and he posted an impressive 126 steals on the year.   

Other than a few Ricky Davis dunks, Andre Miller pretty much was the 2001-2002 Cavaliers.  Without enough (or any) help surrounding him, the Cavaliers record would get worse, and they finished 29-53 on the season. 

After the season, Andre Miller was inexplicably traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for one, Darius Miles.  Although Darius also could dunk, this was essentially throwing in the towel on the 2002-2003 season, as we gave away our best playmaker in Miller.  Andre's stats and play had improved every season and he should have been held on to for much longer.

Andre would spend only one year in Los Angeles before he was signed a multi-year deal with the Denver Nuggets.  He would play a huge part in the Nuggets rise to respectability in the Western Conference.  He has never had problems with durability;  Andre had only missed 3 games in his first 7 seasons in the NBA.  Compare that to one, Prince James, who for all intents and purposes missed two games in the playoff series with the Boston Celtics this year.

He would play 3 productive seasons in Denver before playing from 2006-2009 with the Philadelphia 76ers.  They really were never going to be a competitive team, and in 2009 Miller decided to take his talents to Portland, inking a 3 year, $21 million dollar contract. 

During his time in Cleveland, he was on the NBA All-Rookie First Team, became the first player in Cleveland history to win player of the week twice, and also set a franchise record for total assists in a season (882).  He also was the only NBA player to average 10+ assists and points during the 2001–02 NBA season.  He played the game at an uptempo speed and caused match-up problems against other Point Guards in the league. 

I'll never forget how his feet barely came off the floor when he took 3-point shots.  It was like he was barely even jumping.  Luckily he escaped Cleveland before the 17-65 team took the floor the next year.  Andre was a great Cavalier and he gave the Cleveland franchise far more than they deserved at the time.  He rarely dunked, but as you'll see, when he decided to, he was going to do it big.  His passing ability was spectacular and he always played to win.  Andre Miller is Underrated

Yesterday there was an article that appeared on ESPN.com.  It showed a first-hand look at just how consumed with himself LeBron James is, and his new demeanor and attitude during a trip to Las Vegas.  The article was up for about an hour and then ESPN took it down, similar to the tab on Sportscenter entitled "LeBron in Las Vegas" that disappeared midway through the show  Many believe that the most pathetic manager in sports, Maverick Carter, was behind this.  This just shows how pathetic both LeBron and ESPN are.  The article was orignally written by Arash Markazi, and I'm publishing here in its entirity. 

Go check out my new blog: Cleveland Deserves Better

LeBron James leans against a waist-high stone wall with a 16-foot-tall Buddha hovering over him.

He’s at Tao, a bustling restaurant and nightclub inside the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, and his arms are crossed as he listens to Lynn Meritt, senior director of Nike Basketball, and Charles Denson, president of Nike Brand.James is quiet, occasionally applying Chap Stick on his lips and nodding when he hears something he likes.

Five security guards are stationed around him, one at each corner of the table he’s about to sit at and another roving around with him, watching his every move. Anyone who takes two steps toward James is stopped and must have James’ approval to come closer.

The waiter bringing him his cup of green tea with a spoonful of honey and a dash of lemon juice makes the cut, as does the scantily clad brunette with a tattoo of a heart on her right shoulder.

She wants to take a picture with him. “I can’t right now,” says James. “Maybe later, upstairs, I’ll remember you’re the one with the tattoo.”

James will host a party later in the upstairs nightclub at Tao, but he is currently hosting a dinner for his friends and family in the downstairs restaurant. Wearing a gray striped shirt and gold crucifix around his neck, he bobs his head to music played by an amped-up saxophonist who weaves his way around the table like a one-man mariachi band.

I have somehow found myself at this exclusive table, seated beside Eddie Jackson, who is introduced to me as James’ father (though he actually began dating James’ mother, Gloria, after LeBron was born and the two are no longer together). Jackson, wearing a muscle shirt accentuating his large biceps, looks like a member of James’ four-man entourage, like one of his childhood friends.

James’ circle includes Randy Mims, seated to his right at the center of the table, Maverick Carter, seated at the head of the table, and Richard Paul, seated in front of James. The quartet makes up the initials behind LRMR Marketing, the management firm James founded almost four years ago with his buddies. Their offices in downtown Cleveland gained notoriety this month as the location teams flocked to for their meetings with James.

LeBron James partied at Tao last weekend, complete with a kings’ cake and an entourage to make heads of state jealous.

Seated to the right of James is Chris Paul, whose brother, C.J., is seated across from him. The New Orleans Hornets point guard has seen how James has positioned himself to win a championship by signing with the Miami Heat and joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and has reportedly considered a similar move himself.

The truth is, in James’ dream world, the duo he would love to play with for the next decade would be Wade and Paul, his two closest friends in the NBA. Paul has been like a brother to James since the two were in Las Vegas four years ago for USA Basketball training camp, when as a rookie he carried James’ and Wade’s bags to and from the team bus.

James and Paul are fairly quiet at the center of the table as they take in the scene around them. As family style plates of miso-glazed Chilean sea bass and crispy lobster and shrimp dumplings are brought to the table, James effortlessly picks up the food with his chopsticks and occasionally raises his cup of green tea to passersby as they raise their martinis and mojitos in his direction before being helped along by security guards.

When trays of dessert plates are brought over, James gets up, preferring to start his party upstairs instead of indulging in the giant fortune cookies and chocolate cake. A security guard comes over and puts plastic wristbands on our wrists and escorts us through the back of the restaurant, up a flight of stairs in the bowels of the hotel and through a back entrance into the club. About a dozen security guards, moving their flash lights, direct us to a roped off section on the dance floor of Tao next to a couple of apparently nude women in a bathtub full of water and rose petals.

James, now wearing sunglasses in the dark club, immediately stands up on the couch and folds his arms high on his chest and nods his head. He smiles as he looks at the dozens of people crowded on the dance floor. Noticing him, they stop dancing and snap pictures as the DJ screams out, “LeBron James in the building!” and plays LMFAO’s “I’m in Miami.”

Carter, LeBron’s childhood friend and manager, begins dancing around James like Puff Daddy in a Notorious B.I.G video. A giant red crown-shaped cake is brought over to James while go-go dancers dressed in skimpy red and black outfits raise four lettered placards that spell out, “KING.” Carter grabs a bottle of Grey Goose and pours a quarter of it on the floor and raises it up before passing it off.

James’ infamous one-hour special, “The Decision,” was reportedly the brainchild of Carter, a 28-year-old who has never managed anyone outside of his friend James. This three-day party marathon in Vegas (which James is being paid six figures to host) is also Carter’s idea.

Bottle after bottle of “Ace of Spades” champagne is delivered to the table by a waiter flying down from above the dance floor like some overgrown Peter Pan on a wire. One time he’s dressed like a King, another time as Indiana Jones and another in a replica of James’ No. 6 Miami Heat jersey.

James, who can hardly see the flying figure through his tinted glasses, almost gets kicked in the head on the waiter’s last trip down. He looks at the girls around him and says, “I wish they’d have one of these girls with no panties do that instead of the guy.”

Toward the end of the night, Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis walks past James’ party and looks at the scene up and down several times like a painting in a museum, soaking in the images of the go-go dancers, the “King” sign and the costumed man delivering bottles of champagne.

Davis shakes his head and walks on.

James dances on the couch and sings along with the music blaring from speakers all around him.

The more you hang around James, the more you realize he’s still a child wrapped in a 6-foot-8, 250-pound frame. The night after the party at Tao, he and his crew walk through the casino at the Wynn and Encore and he pretends to dribble a basketball as he walks past ringing slot machines and tourists who do double-takes. In a Nike T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, James’ pantomime seems unconscious. He stops every few feet to shoot a jump shot, his right hand extended above his head on the follow through. He weaves through a pack of a dozen friends and pretends to connect on a layup as he walks past a gift shop. He passes overhead casino signs and jumps up and slaps them, pretending to dunk. Columns covered with advertisements for lounge acts become stationary defenders, chumps to fake out before connecting on imaginary mid-range jump shots.

James probably goes through a practice’s worth of shots as we walk from the XS nightclub at Encore (James left his poolside table when he saw the club was practically empty), through Wynn and over the bridge to the Palazzo.

Soon after arriving at Lavo, a restaurant and nightclub at the Palazzo, a scene straight out of “West Side Story” breaks out when James and Lamar Odom, seated at a nearby table, engage in an impromptu dance-off to California Swag District’s “Teach Me How To Dougie.”

Odom, smoking a cigar, can’t quite keep up. James celebrates by crossing himself and taking a shot of Patron. Moments later, a handful of girls dressed as cheerleaders walk toward his table with someone dressed in James’ Heat uniform. Someone throws talcum powder in the air as James does before every game, while his new unofficial song, “I’m in Miami,” plays.

Odom casts a glance James’ way before looking in the opposite direction and raising his glass at a couple on the dance floor who point to their ring fingers and smile.

Back at his table, James and his crew sing every word to Rick Ross’ “Free Mason.” LeBron raps every line to former teammate Damon Jones (who played with him in Cleveland). Jones, puffing on a cigar, nods.

James rips out the lines:

“If I ever die, never let it be said I didn’t win/ Never, never say/ Never say legend didn’t go in/ I just wanna die on top of the world.”

While he looks at club-goers flashing the LA and Westside signs at him, James smiles and points to Jackson’s T-shirt, which reads, “Another Enemy,” and raises his glass of champagne.

Finally, Carter tells James it’s time to leave the club and they do, LeBron pretending to cross-over tables and shoot over slot machines all the way back to his room.

Daniel Gibson composed this letter to Cavaliers fans following the departure of LeBron James.  I think we can all learn a little something from the Boobie G school of writing.  Hopefully we will get to see a lot more of him this season?

What Up World,  This Message is Directly for the fans of Cleveland from your adopted son, The one and only Boobie G. As you know i was born and raised in Houston, TX. Never once stayed outside the state for more than two weeks and the time I did, that was for basketball. But after two years of college at the University of Texas I decided to make the jump.

You can just imagine how fast my mind was racing going to a city so many miles out of my comfort zone not knowing one single person. But I thank God it was Cleveland! Because From day one the city embraced me and made me feel like I was home. My Second HOME. And as time went on I began to see why we connected.

Cleveland is a never die city, city of loyalty, hard-workers, passion, desire, and toughness. A lot of the same characteristics I have in me and that inspired me. So I made a promise to myself that every day I stepped foot on that basketball court I would show the world what Cleveland was all about. Leaving everything i had on the court. So no matter what obstacle was placed in front of me, I would bust right through it. No matter how high, I would get over it. Or how wide I would get around it. N I hope I did that and will continue to do that. I said that to say, I know right now emotions are high, and people are confused about the way things went down. But I'm here to say DO NOT FORGET THAT WE STILL HERE. and WE GONE GRIND!!!!

The Cavaliers haven't went anywhere, just lost a piece. Everything in life happens for a reason, Some which we dont understand and never will. Somethings we cant control, But the thing we can control is our passion and our love for city of Cleveland and state of OHIO. And that every single night we take that we floor We Will represent. Blood SweAT and Tears. We will go hard. Just like you.

From the bottom to the top, this organization is committed to winning and we wont stop now..... Cant stop now. I LOVE you. We Love YOU. And together We gone make it HAppen. O H I O. Hang in there. 

As for me on another note, I'm in LA working on my game so that i may be a key part of this movement next season. The family is doing great. MY wife to be is in the studio every day and night trying to create the best album of her career. Cutting no corners putting her heart in it like never before. With so much new emotion to show the world. My son Daniel Jr. is 4 months now. Everyday he gets bigger. We took him to the doctor yesterday to get two shots. And lil man did not shed a tear. even laughed a little bit. Tough lil dude, something like his daddy LOL.

The rest of the fam is back home in Houston working with the DGib Hoops Foundation-Shooting for Success. Helping mainly inner city youth to meet new friends, become more discipline, athletically and academically so that one day they may qualify for scholarships and go on to college and be whatever they want to be. Following a living example. ME... Well thats enough for today, yall stay tuned for my next post and remember if you believe, you can achieve. ANYTHING

Cleveland Stand up

1LUV,

BooBie

I feel some sort of obligation to finish this Top 20 countdown I started, even though two of my then-Top 5 are now members of the Miami Heat. Regardless, we’ve arrived at #7 Dajuan Wagner, one of the greatest Cavaliers of all-time.

Dajuan was born in New Jersey in 1983, a great state to be born in if you ask me. His father was Milt Wagner, a former Louisville and NBA stud player. Dajuan was a high school standout; The numbers he put up on a nightly basis were legendary. His senior year, he averaged 42.5 points per game, and scored 3,462 points in high school which is a New Jersey prep school record.

The thing he will likely always be remembered for was when he went Wilt-Chamberlain-status and dropped 100 points in a game. There were some in the media who criticized him as well as his coach for even allowing this to happen, but Dajuan was capable of such a game. He played in the McDonald’s All-American Game and dropped 25 points.

Similar to Derrick Rose, he was recruited to the University of Memphis but played only one year for the Tigers. After drawing comparisons to Allen Iverson, he entered the 2002 NBA Draft and was expected to go early in the 1st round. That assumption was fulfilled when the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him 6th overall. His rookie season was pretty impressive, he scored 13.4 points a game and was a force to be reckoned with offensively. That was his best season in a Cavaliers uniform, and perhaps his only that was memorable. 

His career could have been much more special had Dajuan not been hampered by health problems and nagging injuries. In the 2004-05 season, he only appeared in 11 games and scored a career low 4 points per game. Not exactly what you come to expect from the guy who scored 25 times that in a single game. He was hospitalized for ulcerative colitis.. ouch.

The Cavs chose not to exercise his contract option for the 05-06 season, and Dajuan was a man without a team. It was reported that his colitis condition was not treatable with medication, and after speaking with a New York medical expert he underwent an operation to remove his entire colon.

He attempted a comeback in September of 2006 when he signed a two year deal with the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately, just two months later the Warriors bought out his contract and he was out of the league again.

In 2007 he decided to “take his talents to Poland,” and Dajuan inked a one-year deal with Polish team Prokom. I feel for Dajuan, and wish his injuries hadn’t derailed his NBA career. He was honestly a great player to watch play the game. His ability to shoot the rock as well as drive through the paint made him a Cavalier favorite. One of the things that I’ll always remember was how he covered the ball like a running back when he drove, and then whipped it out last second to finish an impossible layup.  For a smaller guy, he sure could throw down a nasty dunk when he felt like it.  Dajuan Wagner was a Cavalier great, and had things turned out differently, he could still be a franchise player. Dajuan Wagner is Underrated

                       

Editors note: This article originally appeared as a guest post I did for Cleveland's Hope. I discussed the ultimate impact of LeBron's decision and what it means for the franchise as well as the city.

“I’m taking my talents to South Beach.” One statement will never have as big of an impact on any city ever again, guaranteed. Those 7 words pierced through the hearts of Clevelanders as LeBron announced on ESPN that he would be playing for the Miami Heat next year, essentially abandoning the city he put on the map. Most in Cleveland were optimistic that LeBron would stay, but he decided to play with Wade and Bosh instead.

Regardless of whether you agreed with his decision, or the manner in which he decided.. LeBron is gone. What does this mean for the franchise? What impact will it have on the city? 

LeBron’s decision to leave Cleveland has already had an enormous impact on the city. By now, you’ve seen the burning jerseys and the local outrage over his decision. You smiled when you read Dan Gilbert’s letter to fans, proclaiming LeBron a coward and a traitor. But it still hasn’t sunk in. Arguably the world’s best basketball player is gone, and with him goes championship aspirations. No longer will Austin Carr chime in, “and the King THROWS the hammer down.”

Although Dan Gilbert has vowed that the Cavaliers will win a championship before LeBron does, there is virtually no chance that statement holds true. LeBron, Bosh, and Wade on the same team. That’s 3 starters from the All-Star team. Bring on Zydrunas and Mike Miller, a few other role players, and Miami is instantly the favorite in the East. You can pretty much give them the best record in the regular season, and see them in the NBA Finals.

It was hard to lure free agents to Cleveland when we had LeBron. How much harder will it be now that he’s gone? I doubt any elite players will want to come here to play; LeBron is a tough act to follow. The Cavaliers are left with Mo Williams, Jamison, Hickson, and Varejao. Oh yeah, and Christian Eyenga. He might be our best hope. Now granted there is some talent in those 5, but there is one thing missing; star power. The Cavaliers were on national television frequently, only because of LeBron. You can kiss those days goodbye, along with the nightly appearances on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Countdown. No more jaw-dropping “Akron Hammer” throw-downs. Next year, we will be lucky to get one game on ESPN - when LeBron returns to Cleveland.

The city has seen its hopes of a championship vanish with LeBron’s “decision.” The Indians are not going to win a World Series anytime soon. The Dolans simply cannot afford to keep our best players, so they trade them away. The Browns have always been the lovable losers, and making the playoffs alone would be considered a miracle. It’s been 8 years since we made the playoffs, and I don’t see it happening soon. Jake Delhomme will not be leading us to the Promised Land. 

The impact of LeBron’s decision also will hurt the city’s economy. As a result of LeBron leaving, an ESPN report estimated are that Cleveland will lose $20 to $40 million dollars per year. LeBron’s presence meant business for local restaurants, hotels, and bars. Although Cleveland has always been faithful to its sports, it will be hard watching the Cavaliers and knowing something is missing. Never again will this city have a superstar that brings the amount of attention that LeBron did, and his decision pushes us far away from sporting relevance. Maybe we won’t lose 65 games like we did in 2002, but we certainly won’t win 65 either.

Dan Gilbert will do his best to put together a contender, but don’t expect his efforts to translate into a championship level team anytime in the near future. Maybe I’m just being pessimistic, but deep inside I realize the impact that LeBron’s decision will have on Cleveland sports. Where are Ricky Davis and Darius Miles when you need them?

                       

Jesse Jackson is in the news again, and this time he's taking shots at Dan Gilbert.  In what might be described as one of the most ignorant public statements of his career, (that's saying a lot) Jesse Jackson likens Dan Gilbert to a slaveowner.  Really? 

“His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality,” Jackson said in a statement released Sunday. “Gilbert sees LeBron as a runaway slave.  He speaks as the owner of LeBron, not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers."

“Gilbert's accusations endanger LeBron,” Jackson wrote. “His jersey is being burned in effigy, and he is being projected as a betrayer by the owner. ... LeBron is not a child, nor is he bound to play on Gilbert’s plantation and be demeaned.”

Only in America.  Jesse Jackson has a history of making outlandish statements to get his name in the news.  This is the same guy that accused a police officer of a "hate crime" when he shot a man who attempted to run him over with his vehicle. 

Dan Gilbert's letter to the fans might have been innappropriate coming from an owner, but it was in no shape or form, racist.  In fact, it's the Reverrand Jesse Jackson who is racist.  Gilbert is white and LeBron is black, we get it.  That's not what this about.  Dan was upset with the way LeBron hyped up his "Decision" to leave Cleveland, and thus disrespecting the city in an unnecessary manner. 

By playing the race card and calling Gilbert a slaveowner, Jackson diminishes his credibility even further.. if that's possible at this point.  He manipulated this situation to get his name in the news, and by broaching the slavery issue he is simply pointing out his own insecurities and deep-rooted racism. 

It wasn't about the fact that LeBron left, it was the way in which he did it.  Kevin Durant resigned with the Oklahoma City Thunder in a much more mature fashion.  I think Cavaliers fans would have been more accepting of LeBron's decision to leave if he hadn't created a media spectacle around it.

Jesse, slavery is no longer a part of our society.  The Civil War was fought, the North won.  You are obviously ignorant and don't realize that your pathetic statements do more harm than good.  Telling the American public that Dan Gilbert has the mentality of a slave-owner is downright slanderous, if not hilarious.  The "Reverend" Jesse Jackson represents everything that is wrong with American Society.