Article of the Week - due Mon., Nov. 17
Name ________________________
Chasing a Cleveland championship: LeBron James back in a Cavs jersey
By Akron Beacon Journal, 11.03.14
In 1910, a year after leaving the White
House, Theodore Roosevelt delivered a timeless
speech in Paris, France. The former president
said that many people like to criticize, but it is
better to try and fail than never try at all.
"It is not the critic who counts, not the
man who points out how the strong man
stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have
LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers listens
done them better," Roosevelt said. "The credit
as Usher sings the national anthem before a
belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
game against the New York Knicks on Oct. 30.
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and
blood … If he fails, at least (he) fails while daring greatly."
Basketball superstar LeBron James used Roosevelt's speech as a map to guide his way back
home to Ohio.
Where He Got His Start
On July 12, James, who had been playing for the Miami Heat, signed a two-year contract with
the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team where he got his start. James, who is 29, was quickly back in in his
familiar No. 23 Cavaliers basketball jersey.
James thought about Roosevelt's words during and after the 2010-2011 basketball season, his
first in Miami, where he was heavily criticized for joining the team. In Miami, James posted them on
his locker in large letters. Basketball insiders believe James went back to help get the Cavaliers their
first championship.
“He left (Cleveland) to win a championship and he won multiple championships,” said James
Jones, one of James' closest basketball allies. “He left to compete on the highest level." The Miami
team went on to win two National Basketball Association (NBA) championships. The only thing
missing for him, Jones said, was the chance to win a championship in his hometown.
“LeBron is very driven and he takes that challenge seriously," Jones said. "He feels that he’s
equipped and he’s in this place, in this time, to be able to do it. He’s taking it on. Even if it’s not what
other people thought or expected, he expects to be the guy to bring a championship to Cleveland.”
James, who was born in Akron, Ohio, said he purposefully sacrificed success in Miami for the
hope of success in Cleveland. While he was playing for Miami, the team won two championships.
Cleveland has never won even one.
Sports Fans In City Celebrate
“What’s funny is the team was a small [part] of me coming back," James said. "It had nothing
much to do with the team. It was more about these fans and the city and the people here and the
people who watched me grow from when I first picked up a basketball at age 8 to now at 29."
Roosevelt was one of the most powerful and influential leaders of the early 20th century.
James is one of the most powerful and best-known players of the 21st century sports world. In
Cleveland, the Cavaliers sold out of season tickets the same day he announced his return.
On July 11, James released an essay announcing his intention to return to the Cavaliers.
Immediately, the sleepy lunch crowd inside Harry Buffalo sports bar exploded. They celebrated as if
the Cavs had already won a championship.
The night James left Cleveland, "people in here were running into the streets crying and
screaming,” Harry Buffalo General Manager Caitlin Cassidy said. “When he announced he was coming
back, people did not go back to work."
“There are not many players who can come in that young and understand the (importance) of
what he stands for and what he brings” to the team and the city, said Dallas Mavericks basketball
player Tyson Chandler. He won a gold medal in basketball with James during the 2012 London
Olympics. "With that comes a lot of responsibility and he’s never (avoided) it.”
Some players don't like to play for their hometown team, but James is embracing it. “It takes a
special player to be able to do that,” said Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd. "But if there is someone
who can do it, he can.”
"The Hardest Thing You Can Ever Do"
There was a time when James was obsessed with winning a title and foolishly proclaimed the
Heat would win “not five, not six, not seven” championships. That was before he truly understood
how difficult it was to win just one. “It’s the hardest thing you can ever do in your basketball career,”
James says now. James stopped caring how others viewed his career about the time he started
listening to the words of Roosevelt's speech.
“I know deep down he really wants to bring a championship back to his hometown,” Chandler
said. “I’m pretty sure that’s why he came back. He felt like it was the right thing to do and clearly
that’s what he’s chasing.”
To use Roosevelt's words, the dust is on James’ face, and the sweat is on his brow. The most
powerful man in the NBA will soon discover whether he’s strong enough to carry his hometown team
to glory.
Article of the Week Questions
Due Monday, November 17
Name ____________________________________
The purpose of this page is for you to show that you understand the text and can answer multiple-choice style
questions about it. Read each question carefully, then write your answer in the blank. Make sure you are using
the text to find and support your answer. (6 points)
_______ 1. According to the article, which of the following sentences about LeBron James is NOT CORRECT?
A. James' decision to return to the Cavaliers was accepted with great enthusiasm.
B. Roosevelt's speech kept James inspired when he was playing for Miami.
C. James is excited to have won a championship with his home team.
D. LeBron helped the Miami Heat win two championships.
_______ 2. According to the article, what did James learn from Roosevelt's speech?
A. to stop obsessing about winning championships
B. to stay focused by listening to criticism and responding
C. to stop worrying about other people's views
D. to stay motivated and prove others wrong
_______ 3. Read the sentence from the article.
James thought about Roosevelt's words during and after the 2010-2011 basketball season, his first in Miami,
where he was heavily criticized for joining the team.
Select the option that has the same meaning of the word "heavily" as it is used in the above sentence.
A. seriously
B. quickly
C. meanly
D. aggressively
_______ 4. Which of the following options, if it replaces the word in quotation marks, will change the
meaning of this sentence from the article?
The words of President Theodore Roosevelt "guided" him back.
A. forced
B. led
C. helped
D. directed
_______ 5. What motivated James to return to his hometown basketball team?
A. the realization that winning a title for another team was not easy
B. Roosevelt's speech instilled in him a sense of loyalty
C. criticism from people for leaving his home team
D. determination to win a title for his home team
_______ 6. Read the sentence from the article: He is constantly atop “most powerful” player lists, he
embraces social issues.
Which of the following words BEST replaces "embraces" in the sentence above?
A. hugs
B. holds
C. embodies
D. champions
Article title: ________________________________
Name: ________________________________
The purpose of this page is for you to show that you comprehend the author’s main point and to share your
beliefs about the text. Each item has a sentence starter so you know what to write. Read the whole thing over
once to make sure you know what is being asked, then complete the sentences based on the article. (8 points)
The article ______________________________________________
focuses on ___________________________________. The author’s main idea
is that ______________________________________________________.
The author begins the article by _____________________________________
______________________________________________________ because
___________________________________________________________.
The author then shares information about ______________________________
and ________________________________________________________.
More specifically, the author writes, “__________________________________
__________________________________________________________.”
A question I have not is not answered in the article is ______________________
__________________________________________. In conclusion, the
author wants readers to remember that ________________________________
______________________________________________.
The purpose of this page is to hone your ability to gather textual evidence to support or refute a statement and
to focus your reading on some key points in the article. For each statement below, circle whether the text/author
agrees or disagrees with it, and, in the space provided, share quoted, textual evidence to support your agreement
or disagreement. (6 points)
Agree?
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
Statements
1. Theodore Roosevelt’s
words meant a lot to
LeBron James.
2. LeBron James returned to
Cleveland to make more
money.
3. LeBron James’s decision
to come back to Cleveland
got little reaction from the
public.
Your Evidence (cite page and paragraph; briefly explain)