They waited in freezing temperatures. In doctored jerseys and T-shirts that expressed their disgust with the guest of dishonor. They would have waited forever.
View full sizeLeBron James had no problem scoring points for the Heat Thursday night, but he failed to make many points with fans determined to let him know their anger.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Fans arrived early for the unwelcome home party.
A line at the south entrance of The Q snaked around the side of the arena until the doors opened. They waited in freezing temperatures. In doctored jerseys and T-shirts that expressed their disgust with the guest of dishonor: "The Lyin' King," "Quitness," "Traitors: Modell, Albert, Manny, Thome, Boozer & James."
They would have waited forever.
Emotionally, they'd been waiting almost five months for the return of Akron-born and bred LeBron James, the best player ever to wear a Cavs' uniform. But that was before he left for Miami. Before he left fans with the impression he laid down in the playoffs.
"You quit!" Chuck Gasior, a courtside season ticket-holder from Akron, shrieked over and over at LeBron James during pregame warmups.
"Quitter! Quitter!" shouted his buddy, Bob Hoose, the veins in his neck popping out.
Maverick Carter, James' friend, seated three seats down, didn't say a word.
"It's kind of cathartic," said Hoose.
For one night, the Cleveland sports fan unleashed what at times sounded like decades of pent-up frustration every time James handled the ball -- not just for James' flippant departure for Miami, but decades of losing, championship near-misses and all-stars bailing on them.Choreographed just before the opening tip, Cleveland heroes streamed from an arena tunnel to deafening cheers -- Bernie Kosar, Josh Cribbs, Drew Carey among them.
Between boos, fans greeted James with "Akron hates you" and other chants that were more personal than business.
"Tell him to take his talents back to South Beach and stay there," said Antoine Moss of Berea, in a Heat jersey tweaked to read, "Hate 6."
"He's Dwyane Wade's sidekick now," said Acey White of Garfield Heights, in a "The Sidekick" T-shirt with "Witness" crossed out. "He's not the king anymore."
Some feared fan reaction might provide the final piece of an infamous, embarrassing Cleveland trifecta -- Indians 10-cent Beer Night of '74, Browns Bottlegate of '01, and The Return.
But halfway through third quarter, with the Cavs down by more than 30, fans mostly unleashed their anger with jeers, hand-made posters and Cleveland pride on their chests.
Tony Maselli wore a number 23 Cavs jersey with "Leaveland" on the back, and his buddy in one with "Public Enemy" where a player's last name usually goes.
The message they hoped to deliver?
"Just know that he broke our hearts and to be a man," said Maselli, of Lorain. "Grow up. Get rid of those clowns around you."
The chants continued. "Scot-tie Pip-pen...Scot-tie Pip-pen,'' comparing James to Michael Jordan's sidekick.
Deep into the third quarter, as the Heat's lead widened and James turned into a scoring machine, fans began to bail.
"Honestly, the hatred fired him up more,'' said Dave Stadtler of Mentor. "It made him better. I think he made the wrong decision, but I'll always respect his talent.''
"After tonight, I think less of him,'' said Aaron Bush of Warren, who paid about $800 for four tickets and couldn't even mention James by name. "I could have done without the smiling and the gestures.''
Spurts of unruliness popped up into the fourth quarters. A 20-something fan was ejected for getting in a Heat fan's face. Other fans were seen being led out. A Cavs spokesman said one person was arrested and four people ejected during the evening.
Outside, Pastor Toby Gillespie-Mobley and Deacon Tina Williams, of the Glenville New Life Community Church, encouraged fans to take the high road.
"Let's rise above it! 'Tis the season of forgiveness," read one of their signs. "We just came to encourage kindness," Williams said.
Just then, a fan entered the arena in a Cavs' James' jersey with a mock bloody knife in his back.
To many, it was also the season to vent.