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Eric Matthew Richardson · @TheEMRMusic

170 followers · 115 posts · Server kolektiva.social

I was in 6th Grade when LeBron joined the league. As big of a deal as it was to the country, it was absolutely monumental to those of us in Northeast Ohio. We weren't a region known for getting a lot wins, sports or otherwise.

I vividly remember the guy at the locker next to me claiming that LeBron was overrated. I don't remember anything else about 6th grade except that moment, standing in the hallway between classes. I told my Dad about it, too, and he still brings it up to this day. The naivety of it all.

The summer that I graduated was the summer of The Decision. I didn't attend any jersey-burning parties. Sure, I was sad that he was leaving Ohio, but so was I. Who was I to judge? I wanted out of there as badly as he did. I wanted to figure out who I could become.

I had graduated college by the time he won the ring in Cleveland. I was in Chicago, watching it all from a bar packed with fans, with no less than five other alumni from my high school. We cheered. We hugged. We drank. It was a surreal moment. We all escaped the borders our little town, yet somehow it followed us here. I thought of that kid back in 6th grade.

Last night was another one of those moments. Watching from my quiet apartment, far too late for me to be up on a work night, surrounded by three cats. He sunk the basket and I found myself standing up, my arms stretched up to the sky in a silent prayer. A snapshot that I'll look back on for years to come.

I'm not sure why we cling to these moments, or if they really mean anything more than what they are. But maybe that's what life is: a string of meaningless moments that we ascribe meaning to. I'm sure I'll have a few more. Maybe when LeBron plays his last game. Maybe when he is gone, if he passes before I do. And I'll probably think of that kid in 6th grade who doubted him as much as we doubted ourselves.

#LeBronJames #NBA #Basketball