James arrived around 3:15 p.m. with a small posse, which included former Cavaliers player Damon Jones and a pair of bodyguards.

View full sizeGus Chan/The Plain DealerLeBron James bounces a basketball Thursday afternoon as he watches a session of his King City Classic at Cleveland State's Wolstein Center. James will make his decision on whether to stay in Cleveland or go to another team tonight on ESPN.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James quietly showed up at his King City Classic at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center today about 3:15 p.m.

He arrived with a small posse, which included former Cavaliers player Damon Jones and a pair of bodyguards.

James was wearing a white T-shirt, black basketball shorts and had his Blackberry at the ready.

James is expected to announce which team he has decided to play for tonight at 9 p.m. on ESPN from a Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn. Reports say he has chosen the Miami Heat.

In past years James spent his time at the event chatting with college coaches in attendance.

But today even the coaches are at a distance as James sits between the two courts, watching the action, dipping into a bag of chips seemingly without a care in the world.

The middle of four sessions at the King City Classic in the Wolstein Center finished at 4:25, and James sat through most of it. As the players filed off the court and out of the gym, he began hoisting long shots from just off one of the courts. Moments later, at 4:31, he left the court. He only spoke to those in his entourage, and those in the stands -- clearly mostly family and friends of out-of-town campers -- watched silently as TV media and others followed every move James made.

Cleveland Browns add some experience at WR by signing Bobby Engram.

UPDATED: 8:02 p.m.

John Froschauer / Associated PressBobby Engram brings a wealth of NFL experience to the Browns' youthful receiving corps.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns today signed free agent wide receiver Bobby Engram, a 14-year NFL veteran who spent several seasons in Seattle with new Browns president Mike Holmgren.

Engram played in Seattle from 2001-2008 and had his most productive NFL season in 2007 with 94 catches for 1,147 yards and six touchdowns.

Originally selected out of Penn State by Chicago in the second round (52nd overall) of the 1996 draft, Engram has started 113 of the 176 games during his 14-year NFL career and has 650 career receptions for 7,751 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns.

Besides Seattle, Engram has played with Chicago (1996-2000) and Kansas City (2009).

The Gladiators (6-7) are in must-win mode for this and the other two games of the regular season.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerThe Gladiators will need another big performance from quarterback John Dutton if they're to keep their postseason hopes alive against Spokane Saturday night at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Spokane Shock must have been upset about losing at home to the Gladiators on May 1.

It is unbeaten since.

Spokane (10-2) carries an eight-game winning streak into Saturday night's game against the Gladiators at The Q. Kickoff is scheduled for 7.

The Gladiators (6-7) are in must-win mode for this and the other two games of the regular season. Even if they win out, they are going to need help in order to grab one of the four playoff spots in the Arena Football League's National Conference.

"It's no secret what we're up against," Gladiators coach Steve Thonn said. "I don't need to tell our players. They know."

The Gladiators kept their hopes alive last Saturday with a 77-70 overtime road victory against the Orlando Predators. They will take any momentum and be grateful heading into the rematch with the Shock.

"Spokane is solid all the way around," Thonn said. "They have good players at every position and present a number of challenges."

In the May 1 game, the Gladiators stunned the Shock with a 56-yard kickoff return by Brent Holmes with 1.6 seconds left for a 72-68 victory. It gave Cleveland its first victory after opening 0-3. The other loss for Spokane, which owns the best record in the league, came against Milwaukee (74-62 on April 2).

The Shock's success comes as no surprise to Thonn. The franchise played its previous four seasons in af2, winning four division titles and two Arena Cups (2006, 2009). While the AFL was dark in 2009, the Shock remained sharp. Now the af2 is no longer.

"It's kind of the same team they've had for a couple years, plus they've been able to add three or four very good players," Thonn said. "It definitely benefited them to have played last year."

The Shock has proven it can win with offense or defense. It has scored 60-plus points in six games during the winning streak, but is coming off a 37-36 victory against Arizona.

Meanwhile, the Gladiators have scored at least 68 points in all of their victories. They rely heavily on quarterback John Dutton and receivers Ben Nelson, Chris Johnson and Holmes.

Dutton, one of the AFL's all-time greats, threw for 411 yards and 10 touchdowns against the Predators. He connected with Holmes from five yards with nine seconds left in the fourth quarter and with Johnson from nine yards out at 8:58 of overtime. Dutton finished 36-of-53 and was intercepted twice.

"John made some tough throws and some great reads," Thonn said. "He only really had one bad throw. We needed him to be excellent, and he was."

Dutton has thrown for 4,270 yards this season and 32,453 in his career, the latter good for seventh all-time.

Holmes caught 12 passes for 199 yards and five scores at Orlando. Nelson had 17 for 163 and two.

Matt LaPorta is responding well after Monday's head injury in Texas, can he pick up where he left off offensively when he rejoins the Indians lineup?

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerManny Acta said Matt LaPorta is improving, and hopes to rejoin the Indians lineup on Friday.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians' 2010 regular season. The Indians play Tampa Bay tonight in the first game of a four-game series at Tropicana Field.

Tropicana Field's dimensions: Left field line 315 feet, left center field power alley 370, center field 404, right center field power alley 370 and right field foul line 322.

Pre-game notes:

Game 85: Manager Manny Acta believes Matt LaPorta could be back in the Indians' lineup Friday or Saturday. He missed his third straight games Thursday night against the Rays after taking a blow to the head Monday while playing first base against the Rangers.

He's been undergoing tests the last three days to make sure he has no signs of a concussion.

"I'm going to take batting practice (Friday)," said LaPorta, "and I'll go from there. I hope to play before the All-Star break."

Teams break for the All-Star game on Sunday.

"He stepped up his cardio program a little bit today," said Acta, before Thursday's game. "Tomorrow he'll intensify it and take batting practice. He's not ready to play today, but I think he can pass all his tests Friday and get in there Friday or Saturday."

People suffering from concussions often have a bad reaction when their heart rate and blood pressure increase through exercise. That's why LaPorta is going through the cardio tests.

LaPorta is hitting .333 (10-for-30) with five runs, four homers and nine RBI since rejoining the Indians from Class AAA Columbus on June 27.

"It's just part of the game," said LaPorta, about his hot streak being interrupted by injury. "You just hope you can get up there and pick it back up without missing a beat."

Lineups:

Indians (33-51): CF Michael Brantley (L), 2B Jayson Nix (R), C Carlos Santana (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), RF Austin Kearns (R), 3B Jhonny Peralta (R), LF Trevor Crowe (S), 1B Andy Marte (R), SS Jason Donald (R) and RHP Jake Westbrook (8-7, 3.86).

Rays (51-33): RF Ben Zobrist (S), LF Carl Crawford (L), 3B Evan Longoria (R), 1B Carlos Pena (L), 2B Sean Rodriguez (R), DH Matt Joyce (L), CF B.J. Upton (R), C John Jason (L), SS Jason Bartlett (R) and RHP Wade Davis I(5-9, 4.86).
 
Quote of the day: "Baseball was made for kids, and grown-ups only screw it up," Bob Lemon, Hall of Fame pitcher for the Indians.

Next: RHP Fausto Carmona (7-7, 3.69) vs. RHP James Shields (7-8, 4.83) at 7:10 p.m. Friday.

Watch live streaming below video now from the LeBron Decision Watch Party at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood. Party starts around 9 p.m.

Watch live streaming below video now from the LeBron Decision Watch Party at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood.

The Associated Press has a live shot outside the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn. awaiting James' arrival that you can watch here.

Finally, you can also chat live with our experts and get instant updates from The Plain Dealer during the one-hour special.

Email us your watch party photos and videos to edit@cleveland.com.



Live streaming video by Ustream

cleveland.com will be at the LeBron James decision watch party at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood at 9 p.m.

In little more than a year, Davis has grown from a 6-2 unknown guard into a 6-9 forward with multiple skills.

Gus Chan / The Plain DealerChicago high school basketball sensation Anthony Davis showed off his talents during Thursday's tournament play at the King City Classic at the Wolstein Center.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The must-see recruit all spring and into the summer has been fast-rising Anthony Davis from Chicago. It was no different the opening day of the King City Classic basketball tournament at Cleveland State's Wolstein Center.

In little more than a year, Davis has grown from a 6-2 unknown guard into a 6-9 forward with multiple skills. Unlike many who have had big growth spurts in the past, Davis said he has not had issues with joint pain. His biggest challenge is dealing with the phone calls from coaches wanting his services.

"A lot of coaches calling every day," he said Thursday. "I just had to cut [the list] down, so I could look at specific schools to see what they had to offer."

Most of Davis' peers at the King City Classic have been on the radar of major college coaches for two or three years. But sitting in an arena with Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim, Billy Donovan, Tubby Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Sean Miller, Roy Williams, Gary Williams and other iconic college coaches can be daunting for the uninitiated.

"I didn't really look up there," Davis said. "I just kind of saw a crowd. But I did see Coach K."

Davis is a consensus top-10 recruit by all the major recruiting services. He has already shortened his list of potential teams down to three: Kentucky, Syracuse and Ohio State. Davis said the schools fit his style of play, and all utilize their forwards both inside and outside.

It's been a whirlwind year that has Davis going through a change of fortunes on the basketball court, but also a lifestyle change. He's gone from wearing jeans to almost exclusively sweat pants, and jumping from a size 13 shoe to a 17.

"A lot of stores don't have my [shoe] size, so now I have to order things online," Davis said.

On the court: In his first game of the King City Classic, Davis and his Team UNC was matched against JaKarr Sampson (St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Team Duke. Late in the game Sampson got a step on Davis, went for a layup and missed. Davis immediately turned and raced downcourt where he took a pass in stride for a dunk.

As he sprinted back, a teammate picked off a steal and started yet another transition play. Davis took a pass in traffic under the rim, pivoted, and dropped in a soft layup that gave his team a comfortable cushion in what would end as an 84-76 victory.

Do you know: What a National Letter of Intent is? It's a voluntary letter, when signed, that commits a student athlete to a one-year scholarship at the university of his choice provided he/she meets enrollment requirements of that institution. It also means no other school can continue to recruit an athlete who has signed a NLI.

There are 324 Division I schools in the NLI program. However, the Ivy League and military academies do not participate, along with a few select others.

The NLI program began in 1964.

You thought scholarships were for four years? The NCAA has not allowed four-year scholarships since 1973. The maximum athletic scholarship award allowed by the NCAA is for one year.

This n' that: Nice game-winner by 6-7 Victor Nickerson, playing for team Syracuse, in his first game matchup going against Team UConn. Down, 63-62, with a second to play he took a pass on the wing, made a hard dribble into the lane, then pulled up for a floater and a game-winner at the buzzer.

Sign in please: By the end of the day, 110 coaches from around the country had signed in for the King City Classic. Missing from the list was Kentucky's John Calapari, who is in Germany watching the U-17 national team.

The 6-11 Turpin was a rookie when he helped the 1984-85 Cavaliers' run to an unlikely playoff berth. He had been an All-American at Kentucky.

AP/Lexington Herald-Examiner Mel Turpin with former Kentucky coach Joe Hall during halftime of a game on Feb. 23, 2003, when former Wildcats players were honored in Rupp Arena.

Lexington, Kentucky -- Mel Turpin, a Cleveland Cavaliers center for three seasons after becoming an All-American at the University of Kentucky, committed suicide Thursday, authorities said. He was 49.

Police and the coroner were called to his North Lexington house Thursday afternoon on a personal injury call. They found Turpin dead.

Coroner Gary Ginn says that Turpin had committed suicide, but would not say how. He also would not say whether Turpin left behind a suicide note.

Neighbor Amanda McFadden said Turpin always seemed happy.

"He never looked upset. He kept a smile on his face, just a good person," she said.

The Washington Bullets selected Turpin with the sixth overall pick in the 1984 draft, then sent him to the Cavaliers the same day in a pre-arranged trade. That draft included Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton and Charles Barkley.

The 6-11 Turpin averaged 10.6 points, shooting 51 percent from the field, and 5.7 rebounds as a rookie for the 1984-85 Cavaliers team that made the playoffs after a 2-19 start to their season.

The next season, Turpin averaged 13.7 points and seven rebounds, shooting 54 percent.

Turpin lost his starting job with the Cavaliers after they took Brad Daugherty with the first pick in the 1986 draft. Turpin came off the bench to average 6.1 points and three rebounds for the 86-87 Cavs, then was traded to the Utah Jazz during the off-season. His career ended after one season with Utah and one with Washington. 

Turpin, dubbed "The Big Dipper" at Kentucky -- and later "Dinner Bell Mel" for his appetite -- was an All-Southeastern Conference player for the Wildcats from 1980-84. He led Kentucky to the SEC championship in 1984.

Turpin helped lead the Wildcats to three consecutive regular-season SEC titles. He averaged a career-high 15.2 points per game in 1983-84 and shot 74.5 percent from the field.

Cleveland area basketball fans, strung along for more than a week since superstar basketball player LeBron James became a free agent, are poised to explode with joy -- or collapse into despair and derision -- in anticipation of the homegrown hero's 9 p.m. announcement on ESPN of whether he'll stay or take his basketball and go to Miami, New York or Chicago.

John Kuntz/ The Plain DealerMichael Joseph of Solon waits for the LeBron James announcement outside the Harry Buffalo restaurant in downtown Cleveland. The chalk on the sidewalk message says: We will always love U LBJ, but we will love U more if U stay.

Cleveland, Ohio -- It feels like mostly fear and loathing are surfacing right now on a cruelly hot Cleveland evening as fans wait for The Decision from The Chosen One.

The (increasingly certain) fear: The Chosen One will choose another team, leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and probably for Miami.

The loathing: Many fans were tiring of a sports media overkill -- engineered mostly by LeBron himself, who will make his announcement at 9 p.m. tonight on ESPN and probably simultaneously on his twitter account and web site.

But perhaps a fool's hope remains for some.

There is still a minority opinion in this tired town that all of the prognosticators and self-declared experts might be wrong -- that the homegrown superstar will stay at home and not flee to the Miami Heat with co-stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

Instead, he'll stay and finally bring that elusive championship to our hard-luck region -- and a town that hasn't known a real big-time sports champion in 46 years.

The Chosen One will choose us, right? Just like that ping-pong ball seven years ago in the NBA draft -- when our fortunes turned.

Most gathered at The Harry Buffalo bar and restaurant on on E. 4th Street in downtown Cleveland said they were trying to stay optimistic.

Etched in chalk on the sidewalk out front: "We will always love U LBJ, but we will love you U more if you stay."

Kent State University student Austin Briggs and his brother Harry showed up in Harry's "Witness Mobile," his customized 1987 Cutlass Supreme. The hood is now an oversized petition for LeBron fans to sign.

"I still like to think (LeBron) knows he could have more of an effect in Cleveland than anywhere else," Harry Briggs said.

So what happens to the car after Decision night?

"If he stays, we'll try to get him to sign it," Harry Briggs said. "If he goes,we'll sell it on ebay."

Briggs acknowledged that plan might sound a bit cold and calculating -- a business decision just like LeBron's.

By 8:15 p.m. tonight, it was evident that there might be some concern that angry fans might react badly if LeBron looks to leave: A Tenable Patrol Services car pulled up and parked directly in front of the giant "Witness" banner hanging in downtown Cleveland.

Elsewhere, excitement built at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood when CNN officials moved equipment into the bar at 7:45 p.m. to have a live hookup with Larry King regarding fan reaction to James' announcement.

But pre-game mood to James' press conference was mixed.

Most people tried to be positive including the waiters and waitresses who wore Cavs and/or LeBron James jerseys.

"I think LeBron will stay here, but whether he stays or goes won't affect my life one way or another," said Ernie Hemick of Lakewood.

That reaction was fairly typical.

"I don't blame LeBron if he leaves, but he'll make the season here more interesting if he stays. The crowd here isn't too excited (about what he does) one way or the other," said Stephanie Adamson of Strongsville.

"After all, he does have Akron tattooed to his arm, so I hope he stays."

Bill Winship of Westlake had a more terse response: "You can't print what I think about LeBron James."

But each among the thousands of faithful and fearful fans huddled in the hazy heat at sports bars all over Northeast Ohio had their own opinion of what LeBron would say in the 9 o'clock hour.

"I'm definitely going to watch it,' said Sophia Syed, 23, a student at the University of Akron who was walking downtown in the city which raised The King.

Syed, who said she went to five or six Cavaliers games this past season and watched the team on television every chance she could, also predicted that he would indeed go to Miami.

Nearby, at Canal Park in Akron, public relations workers for the AA Areos baseball team where making plans to cut into action on the field once LeBron's mind was finally made up.

Their plans include two short video presentations for about 3,000 fans on hand for the game -- one for if he stays and one for if he goes.

Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones tried to drum up some hometown hype of his own for the board's weekly meeting on Thursday morning: "This kind of drama is similar to what you'll tonight at 9 on ESPN."

It wasn't, but Jones also joked that he'd follow LeBron's one-hour ESPN special with his own announcement.

"I'll be deciding which county I'll be moving to to run for commissioner," he said.

Commissioner Tim Hagan said the LeBron James buildup was overblown: "Of all the problems in this town, we're talking about a guy who plays basketball," he said. "In the end, does it matter that we have basketball or not? Not really."

"

Reporters Marc Bona, Rachel Dissell, Stan Donaldson, Pat Galbincea, Laura Johnson, Everdeen Mason and Liz Navratil contributed to this story.

Did he do the right thing? Give us your thoughts, and we'll put the best ones in the Plain Dealer.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerThis is it!

Third baseman has clouted 13 homers -- along with eight doubles -- in 115 at bats with the Columbus Clippers.

Indians Prospect InsiderJared Goedert has put together a brilliant season after struggling with injuries in 2009.

FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Tonight: Indianapolis (45-43) at Clippers (53-34), 7:05. Indians LHP Brian Burres (1-3, 4.96) vs. Clippers RHP Josh Tomlin (8-2, 2.45).

Notes: Going into Thursday night's game, 3B Jared Goedert had slugged nine home runs and driven in 19 runs in his last 15 games, and had an on-base streak of 19 games. Goedert had eight doubles, 13 homers and 28 RBI in 115 at bats with the Clippers. His 13 homers in that stretch are the second most in all of minor league baseball. Combined with his time at AA Akron this season, Goedert was batting .324 with 22 doubles, 20 homers and 60 RBI. In an injury-plagued 2009 season at Akron, Goedert hit .224 with five homers in 313 at bats....Jordan Brown was hitting .352 (31-for-88) with 10 doubles and 16 RBI in his last 22 games, and had 39 RBI in 186 at bats this season....2B Cord Phelps (.365) had hit .408 (20-for-49) in his last 12 games, with seven doubles and two triples....RH reliever Josh Judy was 1-0 with a 2.86 ERA in 18 games spanning 22 innings, striking out 31 and walking six. In his last 10 games, he had struck out 19 in 13 innings, walked three and not allowed an earned run....RH reliever Jess Todd had struck out 14 and walked none in his last 8 2/3 innings, over nine games. He was 2-2 with four saves and a 2.97 ERA overall, fanning 42 and walking 11 in 36 1/3 innings.

AA Akron Aeros

Tonight: Trenton (52-33) at Aeros (42-43), 7:05. Thunder RHP DJ Mitchell (7-3, 4.68) vs. Aeros LHP Kelvin De La Cruz (1-5, 5.71).

Notes: Going into Thursday night's game, OF Matt McBride (.271) had slugged seven homers in his last 10 games, going 15-for-40 (.375) with four doubles and 14 RBI....OF Tim Fedroff (.255) was 13-for-28 (.464) and on a seven-game hitting streak....LH starter Eric Berger (4-4, 4.74) is 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA in his last five games, striking out 25 in 27 2/3 innings and allowing 16 hits....Catcher Damaso Espino (.292) had thrown out 18 of 45 (40 percent) base-runners trying to steal....RH reliever Chen-Chang Lee (4-3, 4.87) was 3-0 with a 3.60 ERA in his last 10 outings, fanning 18 in 15 innings....Australian RH reliever Shane Lindsay, pitching for his third organization this season, had struck out 13 while allowing one earned run on one hit and eight walks in 7 2/3 innings.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Tonight: Salem (48-36) at Indians (42-40), 7:00. Red Sox RHP Mark Holliman (1-0, 0.00) vs. Indians RHP Joe Gardner (6-3, 2.42).

Notes: Going into Thursday night's game, RH closer Cory Burns was 0-0 with 15 saves and a 2.00 ERA in 18 games. He had struck out 26, walked eight and given up 16 hits in 18 innings. Combined with his time at Lake County this season, Burns was 0-0 with 27 saves and a 2.14 ERA in 32 games. He had fanned 51 and walked nine in 33 2/3 innings, while allowing 29 hits and no home runs....LH reliever Chris Jones was 2-1 with one save and an 0.81 ERA in 15 games spanning 33 1/3 innings. He had struck out 30 and allowed 23 hits, 11 walks and no homers. He began the season at Lake County, going 2-2 with a save and a 2.86 ERA in seven games....3B Kyle Bellows (.261) was 11-for-32 (.344) with one double, three homers, seven RBI and two stolen bases in his last nine games....RH reliever David Roberts (1-2, 4.72) had pitched six scoreless, one-hit innings in his last two appearances, striking out 10 and walking three.

A Lake County Captains

Tonight: Fort Wayne (42-41) at Captains (52-30), 7:00. TinCaps LHP Nick Greenwood (4-4, 4.59) vs. Captains LHP Vidal Nuno (3-2, 5.51).

Notes: RHP Brett Brach is 1-4, but has a 2.98 ERA in 11 starts spanning 54 1/3 innings. He has struck out 44 and walked 16....Going into Thursday night's game, RH reliever Preston Guilmet was 1-1 with seven saves and a 2.61 ERA. He had struck out 33, walked three and allowed no homers in 20 2/3 innings....RH reliever Antwonie Hubbard was 2-0 with one save and a 2.36 ERA. He had not given up a homer in 34 1/3 innings this season, while fanning 33 and walking 10....RH reliever Jose Flores was 0-0 with a save in nine outings, striking out 19 in 13 1/3 innings, while allowing two walks and seven hits.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Tonight: Vermont (15-4) at Scrappers (9-10), 7:05. Lake Monsters LHP Bobby Hansen (2-1, 3.52) vs. Scrappers RHP Jordan Cooper (1-1, 5.02).

Notes: Going into Thursday night's game, OF Jonathan Burnette (.286) had four of the Scrappers' seven homers. He also had five doubles and 12 RBI in 70 at bats....OF Brian Heere was 7-for-36 (.194) but had drawn 12 walks. He was one of seven Scrappers with at least 28 at bats and batting .196 or less.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Tonight: Crushers (24-20) at Florence (18-26), 7:05. LHP Esmelvin Jimenez (4-2, 3.19) vs. Freedom RHP Mike Jackson (0-1, 6.35).

Notes: RH reliever Jeff Cinadr (1-1, three saves, 1.93) has been added to the East Division team for the Frontier League All-Star Game on July 14 in Marion, Ill. Cinadr has allowed just 21 hits in 32 2/3 innings. He joins Crushers RH starting pitchers Josh Roberts and Travis Risser, 3B Andrew Davis and SS Jodam Rivera on the all-star team....Going into Thursday night's game, 3B Andrew Davis (.341) was batting .372 (55-for-148) since the first six games of the season, with 10 doubles, one triple, three homers and 25 RBI.

The two-time MVP will leave the Cavs after the most successful run in team history which saw the shattering of win records and the franchise's only visit to the NBA Finals in 2007.

Lynne Sladky / Associated PressLeBron James and Dwyane Wade will be able to continue their friendship as teammates in Miami, along with forward Chris Bosh.

THE NEW TEAM: MIAMI HEAT
Last season: 47-35, lost to Boston, 4-1, in first-round playoff series.
Last five years; recent playoffs: 201-209; 20-19 in playoffs last five years, including 2006 NBA championship with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.
Coach: Erik Spoelstra. Two years with Heat; career, 90-74; playoffs, 4-8).
Key players: G Dwyane Wade; PF Chris Bosh; F Michael Beasley.
Needs: Players, besides the trio of James, Wade and Bosh. Beasley has star potential, but has thus far been a study in inconsistency. He might be traded to allow maximum contracts for the star trio. Also under contract is so-so point guard Mario Chalmers. As of now, the Heat must fill the roster with seven minimum-salary contracts. There is some speculation that James, Wade and Bosh might surrender some dollars so Miami can offer a reasonable contract to a talented veteran such as guard-forward Mike Miller. James and Wade will have to work out some things. Who is the guy to take the big shot at the end of the game? Star duos have made it work before, but these are two especially strong personalities, so it will be intriguing to watch – although maddening for Cavaliers fans. Throw in the ego of team president Pat Riley — who could unceremoniously dispatch Spoelstra as he once did Stan Van Gundy when a title run seemed possible — and there are certain dynamics which could create problems.
-- Mike Peticca

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The witnesses have been excused.

In a decision that will likely rock Northeast Ohio for years to come, LeBron James announced that he was planning to leave the Cavaliers and sign with the Miami Heat during a primetime special called "The Decision" on ESPN Thursday.

The news was expected for most of the day after reports surfaced overnight that James had decided to join fellow free agents Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Florida. Neither James or his marketing firm would confirm the reports in the hours leading up to the telecast, which only fed suspense and fueled rumors that the reporters were some kind of smokescreen to drive ratings.

In the end, it was just denial.

The two-time Most Valuable Player will leave the Cavs after the most successful run in team history which saw the shattering of win records and the franchise's only visit to the NBA Finals in 2007.

James was attracted to the Heat because he believes the three stars with the Heat can compete better for championships against strong teams like the Lakers, Celtics and Magic.

James, the team's all-time leader in scoring among other categories, potentially could be leaving as much as $40 million on the table by not signing a maximum contract with the Cavs and instead going with the Heat. It is believed the Heat attempted to get around this fact by pointing out the different in state income tax rates.

Florida has none and Ohio's is six percent. James would have to pay out of state income tax for most of his 41 road games per season but none of his home games. But still that is a difference that could save James millions over the next five years when also including his endorsement earnings, which are believed to be about $15-20 million per year.

Look back at LeBron James' seven years in Cleveland and then tell us your LeBron memories.

Turning down your hometown team on national television in a self-serving special called The Decision? Former Cavalier LeBron James should know better.

UPDATED: 9:52 p.m.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerOne disappointed fan -- Thomas Johnson of Bridgeport, Conn. -- was prepared to express his opinion after LeBron James' announcement on Thursday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Maybe this happens when you get too much, too soon. Maybe it happens when you forget where you came from, or what you mean to the people of Northeast Ohio.

But LeBron James should feel a sense of shame and pain for putting together a self-serving ESPN special to inform the world that he no longer intends to play for the Cavaliers. To sharpen the insult, he titled his switch to the Miami Heat as "The Decision."

Yes, that's just like The Fumble, The Drive, The Move, The Shot and other awful moments in the history of Cleveland sports -- and he picked the name?

Doesn't anyone in the James camp have a clue of what people back home will think? Doesn't anyone care? Of if they mentioned to James, doesn't he get it?

Twenty-five year-olds are usually not the most mature people on the planet. Add in becoming worth $100 million at 18 and a global sports icon a few years later, and perhaps James was building up to this crass, sad moment. He lives in a celebrity bubble where it's very difficult to see any situation except through his own eyes, with his own sense of entitlement.

And yes, James is entitled to become a free agent.

He can sign with Cavs, the Bulls or anywhere else. But don't make the claim that Miami with a made-for-TV team in Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and a no room in the salary cap for much more than some of James' old St. Vincent-St. Mary teammates is purely about winning.

It's hype. It's sizzle. It's about his brand name.

But it's not the best basketball situation.

Of the teams with salary cap room to sign James, Chicago has the deepest roster. New Jersey has some intriguing young players. The Cavs have won 61 and 66 games in the last two seasons with James, and would be a contender again in the Eastern Conference if he had returned.

Yes, James is free to go to Miami. He's free to market himself on ESPN. But fans in his hometown also are free to say that he never should have embarrassed them.

They are free to be hurt, because the Cavaliers could have paid him more than any other team. They also have spent more and won more in the last three years than any of main contenders for his services. It's a lot easier to dump contracts and lose games than to keep adding veterans and fat contracts while chasing a title, which the Cavs have done.

The fans also are free to wonder what happened to the guy who accepted his first MVP award at his old St. Vincent-St. Mary gym, the next at the University of Akron -- and both times, talking so warmly and sincerely about being at home.

James is a remarkable basketball talent. He has wisely stayed out of legal trouble, and generally said and done the right things when in the public spotlight. He leaves as the greatest player in franchise history, and leading the Cavs to their only NBA Finals appearance back in 2007.

Never was basketball more fun for Cavaliers fans than during the James Era. But never could anyone have imagined a worse way for it to end than how James delivered his decision Thursday night.

But even though it is a massive blow, losing a two-time Most Valuable Player in his prime, the team did prepare for this contingency.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerWith LeBron James' departure, Mo Williams becomes the most prolific scorer on the Cavaliers, although the team has explored some trade talks with other NBA teams about the veteran guard.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James is no longer a Cavalier, but there will still be 82 NBA games played next season.

Like many of their fans, the Cavs were in a state of shock after James announced he was going to sign with the Miami Heat. As recently as last weekend, the team felt positive that James would re-sign and they could make some adjustments and contend for a championship again next season.

But even though it is a massive blow, losing a two-time Most Valuable Player in his prime, the team did prepare for this contingency. Team owner Dan Gilbert is likely to continue his willingness to spend on payroll and keep the team competitive.

No one will pick the Cavs to contend for the title with Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson. But with some additions, the team does feel it can compete for a sixth consecutive playoff season.

While there is still a chance that the Cavs could do a sign-and-trade with the Heat for James to get back future draft picks, it is unlikely they would take part in helping James go to another team. It is a virtual certainty that the Cavs would not get any players in return, which means they face the reality of losing James for nothing.

The other reality is that the majority of the available top free agents have come to terms with other teams while the Cavs waited on James' decision. Thursday, the first day teams could sign free agents, saw a flurry of activity as the Cavs had to wait on the sidelines.

In addition, without James the Cavs are not going to be an attractive free-agent destination.

The team does have some things going for it. One is that for the first time since 2005, the Cavs will have salary cap space. That is the good news; the bad news is it isn't a large amount.

Without James, for whom the Cavs were saving $16.6 million with their maximum contract offer, they are about $8 million under the salary cap. If they choose to release Delonte West before Aug. 3, they could clear another $4 million.

To get all of that space the team would have to renounce the rights to all their free agents including Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Wally Szczerbiak (a carryover from last year).

Using that cap space on free agents, however, may not be the heart of the team's plans. There are several different ways to use space and it can be valuable in acquiring players in trades. That is the route the team is expected to go to improve, part of its after-James plan.

In recent weeks, General Manager Chris Grant has been making calls to check into deals whether James re-signed or not. Most centered around West's contract, which will be valuable in cost-cutting trades. The Cavs have also tested the market for point guard Williams.

After not having first-round picks in three of the last six drafts and no lottery pick since 2004, the Cavs may be looking for trades that bring additional first-round picks. They also may look to sign some of the draft picks they have playing overseas, especially '09 first-round pick Christian Eyenga and '08 second-round pick Sasha Kaun.

Unlike in '03, when the Cavs won James' rights in the draft lottery, there is likely no magic bullet on the horizon. But there are options to improve what James left the Cavs with.

Well, there he goes.

The Indians lose for the third time in four games on their last trip before the All-Star break.

Chris O'Meara / Associated PressCarl Crawford was all the offense the Tampa Bay Rays needed Thursday night, powering a pair of two-run homers off Jake Westbrook to lead the home team over the Indians, 5-2.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jake Westbrook entered Thursday night's game with a five-game winning streak against the Rays going back to 2005.

In all that time, he never really had a problem with Carl Crawford. Tampa Bay's fleet and talented left fielder. Crawford had eight hits in 33 at-bats against Westbrook for a  pedestrian .242 batting average.

Crawford changed the dynamics of the relationship in a hurry Thursday. He hit a long two-run homer in the first inning and an even longer two-run homer in the third to lead the Rays to a 5-2 victory over the Indians at Tropicana Field.

Carlos Pena added a solo homer off Westbrook (5-5, 4.75) in the third for the Rays' fifth run. The Rays needed the homers because the Indians used some power of their own to stay close.

Leadoff man Michael Brantley gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with his first big-league homer in the first off Wade Davis.

Tampa Bay came right back as leadoff man Ben Zobrist singled and Crawford hammered a 3-2 pitch into the right field bleachers for a 2-1 lead in the first.

Andy Marte's first homer since April 22 pulled the Indians into a 2-2 tie in the second, but the combination of  Zobrist and Crawford went to work again in the third.

Zobrist doubled with one out and Crawford hit another 3-2 pitch into the right field bleachers. This one almost hit the back row.

It was an odd night for Westbrook. He retired seven straight between Crawford's first homer and Zobrist's double in the third.

Westbrook finished his six innings by retiring six of the last seven men he faced. He didn't walk a batter and struck out seven. His strikeout high for the season is eight.

The Indians are 1-3 on this seven-game trip before the All-Star break. They opened the trip Monday with a victory over Texas and that very well could be their final victory of the first half. The Rays, coming off a three-game sweep of Boston, have won six straight and eight of their last nine.

Davis (6-9, 4.69) allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings for the victory.

Carlos Santana reached on a bunt single in the eighth and went to second on Austin Kearns' one-out single. Jhonny Peralta just missed a three-run homer to center field and Trevor grounded out to end the inning.

Dan Wheeler worked the final 1 2/3 innings for his first save. 

By the way LeBron James ended the season and snubbed the city, it was personal, not business. Art Modell has company in the Cleveland Sports Hall of Shame.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerCavaliers fans Allie Cozzone (left) and Jessica Bosway of Chagrin Falls yell at the television screen at the Harry Buffalo restaurant in Cleveland after LeBron James announced his decision to go to the Miami Heat Thursday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Chosen One left the money and ran.

Until 9:28 Thursday night, there was still the thought in Cleveland that reports LeBron James would go to Miami as a free agent were a vast smoke screen, like the volcano in Iceland. But they were not.

Defecting players usually say sports are a business. But while James' decision certainly crushes businesses around The Q, for Cleveland, this was personal. How could it possibly be business when the Cavaliers could pay $30 million more over a long-term contract than any of his suitors?

James is the local legend who severed his ties with the area and now becomes as reviled as any sports figure other than Art Modell. He is the great player who left unfinished business after quitting on his team on the court and left unanswered questions by quitting on his city off it.

The medium for the bad news was ESPN, which figured. The network represents much of what is loud, obnoxious and empty in sports today.

The smiley face that Miami will put on this will be that James placed a chance to solidify one of the NBA's potentially great teams ahead of his ego. But as the dog-and-pony show of James' free agency shows, it was always all about him.

There is no doubt, however, that Cleveland enabled him with the huge billboard-sized banner across from The Q; with the "Witness" signs, as if he were able to perform miracles; with the sing-along by city and state officials, pleading for him to stay. There was a clear indication from the moment he wore a Yankees cap to a New York-Indians playoff game in what was then called Jacobs Field that he felt he could do anything he pleased. No one in the Cavaliers' organization would ever tell him no.

What a surprise that he became monstrously self-centered.

In the end, he proved not good enough to win it all, even with a good supporting cast.

By waiting to leave until after his high-profile basketball camp in his hometown of Akron, by surrounding himself there with current and former Cavs teammates, and by scheduling a one-hour national cable "event" just to exploit this city's suffering, he hit the trifecta in deplorable behavior.

He had before invoked all the connotations of home, only to leave it. He had before summoned an image of family, only to reject it. He had before cherished loyalty, only to betray it. He wears "Family" and "Loyalty" tattoos on his torso. Dermabrasion, please. The sooner, the better.

By contrast, Tim Duncan could have left the Spurs for Orlando, almost did, then stayed and won three of his four championships afterward. Kobe Bryant almost forced his way out of Los Angeles, then stayed and won two championships among his five overall, in just the last two years.

With James, there was always a childish, self-aggrandizing aspect to his game and a divided focus on the importance of winning. He was caught up in hosting the ESPYs and "Saturday Night Live" or making a proposed movie. Such perks once followed winning, but in his case, they preceded it.

He always wanted everyone to look at him. He valued trick shots, attempting looping, underhanded efforts from halfcourt before the game. He indulged in showy, copycat gestures like the pre-game powder throw. (Kevin Garnett did it first). He was not the winner we thought, not by a long shot in the Boston series. He was the fabulous curiosity, the bearded lady, the dancing bear.

He rubbed it in, dancing and preening, when the Cavs won and, at least twice, against Boston in 2008 and Orlando in 2009, he left without shaking hands after they lost. By joining the stocked-with-superstars Miami Heat, he becomes on the court what his rooting interests in the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys made him off it -- a front-runner.

As far as the "multiple" championships go that the abdicated "King" thinks will ratify greatness, is that really so? Until the rise of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson in the 1980s and '90s, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson were commonly considered the best guards in NBA history. They won two championships between them. Years of excellence established their reputations, despite the obstacles the Bill Russell dynasty presented.

James will be compared to Modell, although NBA basketball, of sorts, will continue here, and NFL football, the biggest thing in town by far, did not for three years. Of course Modell should have sold to a local buyer, but he was down to last resort in order to stay in the game when he moved the Browns to ease his financial burdens. James had plenty of time, at age 25, to redeem his feeble efforts against Boston. Garnett, for example, stayed a decade in a less competitive situation in Minnesota and left more honorably.

Modell's move meant he sacrificed his chance for his sport's Hall of Fame.

James -- despite the problems he and Dwyane Wade will have in sharing the ball, despite the need to keep the third mercenary, Chris Bosh, happy too -- probably thinks he has won the world.

Everywhere but home, although he said he will still live in Akron.

Because home is gone. Because it's personal here too.

UPDATED: Media and fans in Miami are elated with the news of LeBron James coming to South Florida, while New York tries to understand how anyone could spurn the Big Apple.

View full sizeCharles Trainor Jr. / Miami HeraldMarti Acosta, right, and Alfi Portela react Thursday in Miami as LeBron James announces on ESPN that he is signing with the Heat.

It's safe to say that Miami is not feeling Cleveland's pain.

Miami is in full celebration after LeBron James announced Thursday night he will join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Heat. The news led Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote to declare South Florida the "mecca of basketball," and he doesn't have a lot of sympathy for Cleveland:

"As for Cavaliers fans feeling angry and betrayed? Get over it, mi amigos. Players leave. Ever heard the phrase "greener pastures''? Besides, when Column A is Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and living on South Beach and Column B is far less a supporting cast and living in Cleveland, well, let's just say Mensa membership is not required to reach the conclusion James did."

Miami Herald columnist Dan Le Batard praises James for the "bravery" of making his decision to go to Miami, and that James values winning above money and ego:

"This had to be so very hard for him. And brave. He has crushed his hometown of Akron, going from the most beloved person in Ohio's history to its most despised with just a few words and a signature. But he just told you that he values winning above all else. Above ego and glory and brand and money and commercials and hometown and fans and comfort and fame. It is an unprecedented decision being made by a reigning two-time Most Valuable Player in his prime."

Go here for coverage from the Miami Herald.

Of course, Cleveland fans weren't the only ones disappointed on Thursday. The media in New York seem stunned that James had the audacity to pass on playing in the Big Apple. The New York Post's headline on the main page of its Web site: "Knicks Stood Up!"

Post columnist Mike Vaccaro says the Knicks must move on after failing to land LeBron. Actually, his advice could apply to the Cavaliers as well:

"If you are the Knicks, and if you root for the Knicks, the pursuit of LeBron is officially a part of yesterday, officially a part of the past. It serves no purpose to lament, to lick wounds, to shake an angry fist at that old master of Machiavelli, Pat Riley."

View full sizeLisa DeJong / PDA cutout of LeBron James ends up in the garbage can at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood on Thursday after James announced he is signing with the Miami Heat.

New York Daily News writer Meena Hartenstein says James deserves a new nickname and is asking for readers' help after James "broke the hearts" of New York fans:

"OK, LeBron, you broke our hearts. New York was ready to love you - well, other than Gov. Paterson - but you led us on and let us down. . . . So we think it's time for King James to relinquish his crown and get a new nickname from the city he spurned. What do you think we should call him? Le Fraud? King Lame? Court Jester?"

Daily News columnist Mitch Lawrence says James' decision to not sign with the Knicks is "humiliating." But Lawrence has harsher words for James:

"Just as he did in Game 5 against Boston, LeBron James quit on the Cleveland Cavaliers. This time, he quit on them for good. . . . James, of course, was not required to come (to New York). He was free to decide his future. But it's almost a joke that he threw in the towel on himself by joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. He has a nice cover. He says he wants to win. But in making 'The Decision,' James basically threw up his hands and said, 'I give up. I can't lead a team to the title by myself.' And this guy thinks he can be another Michael Jordan? He's not even in the same league as Kobe Bryant."

Here is more coverage from the Daily News.

While Los Angeles Times columnist Mark Heisler didn't care for the spectacle surrounding James' decision, he says LeBron has every right to leave Cleveland for Miami, and that it's a good decision:

"After seven seasons of trying to carry Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao and Co. to a title, James joins Wade and Chris Bosh on a new East power as glamorous as the Lakers, the previously unchallenged kings of glitz. . . . In spite of the storm about to break around his head, James had every right to leave, even if it meant breaking his hometown's heart. He spent seven years trying to get the Cavaliers over the top. Then he spent the last week trying to get another big free agent like Bosh or Amare Stoudemire to join him on a sign-and-trade. With the Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors reportedly agreed on a deal, Bosh turned down the chance to go to Cleveland--taking less money to sign with Miami. Only then did James turn toward Miami."

Washington Post columnist Mike Wise says LeBron made the right "basketball decision," but he is sacrificing his legacy on the court with his decision to go to Miami:

"As a legacy guy, he needs to know: His decision to spurn the Cavaliers for more talent and hope in Miami forbids LeBron from ever being one of those all-time greats who persevered through coaching changes, roster changes and wrenching playoff losses to lift a trophy to the rafters for the team who drafted him."

Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News and a frequent contributor on ESPN's "Around the Horn" believes James and Wade are not a good fit:

"Wade and James are too much alike to thrive together naturally. This isn't Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen where there was a very obvious 'A' player and 'B' player. And the 'B' player just happened to be the best defender in the league. Even if you label Wade a shooting guard and James a small forward, both take on point guard roles in crunch time. Both need to dribble the ball and drive. It's what they do best. At least it was until now."

Sports Illustrated columnist Michael Rosenberg says James is taking the easy way out by joining the Heat:

"But James does not have the heart of a champion. He does not have the competitive fire of Jordan, the bull-headed determination of Kobe Bryant, the quiet self-confidence of Tim Duncan, the willful defiance of Isiah Thomas or the winning-is-everything hunger of Magic Johnson. He is an extremely gifted player who wants the easy way out."

Rosenberg gets more brutal:

"I thought he would stay in Cleveland, because I thought all he cared about was adoration. I was wrong about Cleveland, but he is wrong about adoration. He thinks he'll get it by winning a title. He has insulated himself from the world, surrounded himself with yes men. He has no idea how much backlash he is about to get. That's one of the great ironies of this -- James is trying to flee pressure, but he will just face more of it. He is trying to maximize his 'brand,' but he just damaged it."

Harvey Araton of the New York Times says the Heat has become the new evil empire of sports:

"Who outside of South Florida wants to root for Miami after the way James walked out on Cleveland and his home territory of northern Ohio in a mercenary reach for championship rings? On the other hand, who won’t want to see the three-man super team play with the hope of watching it take a big fall? Had James stayed in Cleveland, he would have had the support of a nation wanting to see The Loyal One rewarded. Teaming up with Wade, Bosh and Darth Riley makes him more antihero than hero — but perhaps an even more marketable commodity for the N.B.A. brand."

David Ramsey of the Colorado Springs Gazette says LeBron might be known as The King, but The King of what?

"He has not won a championship. He’s not the best player in the NBA, and it’s not even close. James has won consecutive MVP trophies. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant has won consecutive NBA titles with the Lakers. LeBron is the supreme athlete. Kobe is the supreme winner. Kobe rules the playoffs, when the true emperors of sports emerge. LeBron rules the regular season, when exhausted, disinterested defenders shrug as the Counterfeit King rises for a dunk."

ESPN's Henry Abbott says he's puzzled by the vitriol being hurled toward James:

"What is James' crime, exactly? . . . Pretty much it boils down to the fact that he put himself on TV to make this decision, which sends the twin messages that he has an overblown view of his own role in the world, and that he's insensitive to how the whole thing would play in Ohio. And OK, fair enough. Quibble with his media philosophies if you'd like. But realize, if you're bitter, you're bitter about the format of his expression. Not the contents of his soul. And without clearing the bar in that last sentence, it's a little extreme to call him nasty names on the Internet, isn't it?"

Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan has great sympathy for Cavaliers fans and the city of Cleveland:

"LeBron was beloved because he had preached community and loyalty. He was the hometown kid made good, and that resonated in an area hard-hit economically. Yes, even more so than other locales in this country. He was a source of pride. He was one of them. And now he has abandoned them. That’s the way it will be framed. Is this fair? Should they have been able to hold him as an emotional hostage? Did he owe them anything at all? The good news for all of us is that this ordeal is over."

Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times says James "has made me feel dirty, foul, infested with tiny crawling things that want to creep into my ears and eat my brain.":

"Players change teams all the time, I know that. Who doesn't? Hello! But no player has ever done it with the pomp, phoniness, pseudo-humility, and rehearsed innocence of LeBron James and his ESPN bed-mates."

Sun-Times columnist Rick Morrissey shares his colleague's sentiments, and says any accomplishments in Miami will be devalued:

"No matter how many titles James wins, they will be devalued by the fact he needed to join ranks with Wade and Bosh to do it. Had he remained in Cleveland and won a title, he would have been called an American hero for staying true to his team and his state. Had he come to Chicago and won a title, he would have gotten high marks for pushing a young, talented team over the hump. . . . Had he gone to New York and built a champion with Amar'e Stoudemire, he'd have gotten major props for rolling the dice. But this? This is a playground game in which the best players unite to own the court on a Saturday afternoon. Where's the accomplishment in that?"

More links:

LeBron looks neither royal nor loyal (Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times)

LeBron's decision a cruel blow to his hometown (Fanhouse)

LeBron's bad call? Doing it on TV (San Jose Mercury News)

ESPN's 'infomercial' a sellout (Houston Chronicle)

LeBron James' snub of Ohio a blemish on image (Boston Herald)

A dark(er) day in Cleveland (CNN)

Three very different reactions to LeBron James' decision (Yahoo! Sports)

Many fans carried hope into James' televised broadcast, and were left trying to deal with the disappointment afterward.

Cleveland area fans react -mostly angrily - to LeBron James decision to leave the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat.

Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerA fan films LeBron James' jerseys burning in a short-lived fire outside Harry Buffalo in Lakewood.

• Slideshow: Fans react to LeBron leaving
• Complete LeBron James Decision coverage

Never underestimate the scorn and fury of the Cleveland sports fan.

Especially when jilted by a once-loved -- and now lost -- superstar.

"This is the worst day of my life," said John Horn of Amherst, who watched in frozen horror with hundreds of others at a Lakewood bar when LeBron James announced live on ESPN that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"But I'm not surprised at all. It'll be like Art Modell."

Modell -- maybe until now -- has been the most vilified figure in Cleveland sports history for taking the city's beloved Browns away to Baltimore in 1995.

As patrons exited Lancers, a Cleveland restaurant, they yelled things such as "Goodbye LeBron" and "You're no king!"

Friends Earl Tanner, 51, and Joan Scott debated on whether James was wrong for leaving Northeast Ohio.

View full sizeStan Donaldson/The Plain DealerFriends Earl Tanner and Joan Scott

"This is real hurtful," Turner said. "The king should never leave his throne, when you do, that means you are dethroned. He turned his back on us."

Scott disagreed: "He should do what he wants and at the end of the day, life goes on."

She was in the minority.

Reaction was mostly negative around Northeast Ohio when fans found out that the kid who came through Akron and reversed the fortunes of a team and an entire region, will join fellow superstar free agents Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to play for the Heat.

Shouts of "sell-out" echoed around the Harry Buffalo bar in downtown Cleveland as soon as Lebron said the words "South Beach" -- the home of the Miami Heat.

One fan was carted away by Cleveland police after hurling himself at a local TV camera -- giving the out-of-town media swarming the site the fan reaction shot they were drooling for. A few others burned a couple of LeBron jerseys -- but again, mostly for TV cameras.

View full sizeCleveland Cavalier fans, from left, Alyssa Schmidt, Allie Cozzone, Jessica Bosway and Marissa Riccelli all of Chagrin Falls are stunned Thursday night when LeBron James makes his announcement.

Once the decision was final, fans at the Harry Buffalo also demonstrated Cleveland's necessary short memory and strange, enduring hope -- chanting "Here we go Brownies, here we go -- woof, woof," while the song "Cleveland Rocks" blared over the speaker.

The same was true in James' hometown of Akron, where more than 2,500 baseball fans at Canal Park booed heartily when a photo and message -- "LeBron James is no longer a Cavalier" -- was flashed on the scoreboard.

The boos transformed into cheers in the bottom of the 7th inning, though, when an Aeros player got a key hit.

So Cleveland and Akron may move on, eventually.

But for one night, the "Where will LeBron go" speculation that had spanned months seemed to dissolve instantly into spittle and vitriol.

"I thought the whole thing was tasteless, despicable, true trash and historic garbage," said Phoenix Jones of Cleveland, who watched the announcement at The Winking Lizard in Lakewood.

"How can you leave your own city in the dust? He has 'loyalty' and 'family' tattooed on him. His decision displays none of that."

Cleveland City Councilman Zack Reed showed up downtown to tell every microphone aimed his way that LeBron James' decision was a "slap in the face to every citizen" in the city.

He said Lebron's message was basically: "I love you but you aren't good enough for me."

View full sizeStan Donaldson/The Plain DealerMike Franklin, owner of The Undisputed Barber Salon on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland and customers react to the LeBron James decision Thursday night.

Mike Franklin, owner of the Undisputed Barber Salon in Cleveland, said James is no longer his favorite player.

"In my heart, I knew he would leave," Franklin said. "I'm not going to root for him, I'm going for Kobe now and I don't even like him."

Customers and workers at Lancers also said they felt like the eatery itself: empty.

"This will hurt business for sure," said George Dixon Jr., restaurant manager.

At the Around The Corner bar on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, Daniel Rodrigues, 30, from Brazil, compared it to watching the soccer players in his home country.

"I'm afraid they will burn the stadium down," he said, noting that Brazilian fans have been known to flip over players' cars when they switch teams.

There appeared to be some precautions against violence in Cleveland -- at least against the iconic "Witness" banner hanging from a downtown building. Security guards parked in front of the banner about a half hour before James made his announcement.

Others remained strangely optimistic.

"He'll be back -- I mean we have a knew coach this year so we could be better than Miami," said Ken Glowacki of Amherst.

In the end, though, even the anger slipped away as quickly as the bars emptied.

Over at Panini's in Cleveland Heights, Ashley Hall, 22, of Cleveland, pouted while others screamed."It's disappointing," she said.

But she added that she thought the whole spectacle was anticlimactic. She thought people would be more riled up, but instead they seemed to sense that the King's departure was coming, she said.

Within 10 minutes of the announcement, the bar looked just like it would any other Thursday night -- with people singing along to the hit music playing on the speakers.

At Around the Corner in Lakewood, it was the same.

"I never really knew how much love we had for this guy until 10 minutes ago -- just dead silence," said Kevin Tuleta of Lakewood at Around The Corner. "And this is one of the biggest bars in the city."

VIDEO: Fan reaction to LeBron James' decision to leave: