Lebron feels pain after championship loss, hopes return inspires
LeBron James still feels the pain of losing another NBA Finals — “I’m bummed about it for sure” — but the superstar hopes he was an inspiration in his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James addressed Cavaliers fans in a video posted Saturday for Bleacher Report.
“Hopefully I was an inspiration, being back to you guys for this first year,” James said in the video. “Hopefully I can continue that in the near future. And I just thank you guys — I thank the fans, I thank everybody for the support that y’all gave us all year, the support that you gave me by welcoming me back.
“And hopefully I made you guys proud in Year 1. Like I said, I’m not satisfied, I’m not happy with the way things turned out. I’m bummed about it for sure. But hopefully I can put our team in position once again to try to compete for a championship next year and year-in and year-out. That’s my goal, and my inspiration hasn’t changed. So I appreciate everything. I thank you guys, I love you guys and I’ll see y’all soon.”
James returned to Northeast Ohio in July 2014, leaving the Miami Heat four years — and two NBA championships — after bolting Cleveland in an excruciating public departure aired by ESPN and titled “The Decision.”
The Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors 105-97 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last week and James was “not happy with the way it closed out.”
“It hurt to lose, and I’m still in a little funk right now, but I’m trying to work my way out of it,” James said. You know, for a team that’s first getting together, in our first year to be able to reach the Finals — not saying I’m happy with the results, but I’m proud of our guys. Just the growth that they had from the first day we walked in the gym to the other day, us losing, I’m proud of the guys and what they was able to accomplish.”
