LeBron James in Last: Sports Figures Who Beat the King back to Ohio
By Adam Cellini
Aug 8, 2014; Akron, OH, USA; A plaque of LeBron James inside of St. Vincent St. Mary High School prior to the LeBron James Family Foundation Reunion and Rally at InfoCision Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m coming home.”
It was this simple sentence that concluded and somehow perfectly summed up LeBron James’ poignant, personal essay that transcended the NBA and changed the outlook of an entire city.
However, LeBron doesn’t have a trademark on these words. And while these dramatic words resonated across the country over the last month, they were initially the thoughts or words of a number of Ohio-born/raised athletes following LBJ’s original departure in 2009.
In fact, LeBron is currently last on a surprisingly long list of athletes and coaches who quietly initiated an exodus back to Ohio following careers outside their home state. Here’s a list of active sports figures that have returned to Northeast Ohio to continue their careers during “The King’s” four-year reign in Miami: