Cleveland economy without lebron

James, an Akron native who currently plays for the Miami Heat, announced his decision to leave the team in his much maligned TV special, "The Decision," in July Sports networks and national television quickly turned to gloom-and-doom scenarios for not just the Cavaliers basketball team, but for the city's economy as well. The reality of the departure of the "LeBronomy" has turned out to be a little bit different.

Purely in terms of how James' spring to Miami has affected attendance at downtown Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena "the Q" and the overall value of the team, there are some sobering numbers.

While a consecutive home sell out streak stayed strong for a while without James, their road attendance suffered without James as a cross-country pull.

The worth of the Cavaliers took the brunt of the impact, dropping 26 percent in value, according to Forbes in January , with another 7 percent drop in New collective bargaining terms borne out of the NBA lockout also look to help small market teams like Cleveland compete with the bigger cities in the future. Meanwhile in Miami, LeBron's arrival, along with stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, has some people thinking of the acquisition as a "billion dollar stimulus package" for the local economy over the next five years.

But what about the little guys around the Quicken Loans Arena -- the sports bars and restaurants that saw profits rise in correlation with James' superstardom? When LeBron was here it was a spectacle, with businesses taking groups -- now you're seeing the true Cavs fans.

With a young point guard in Kyrie Irving fresh off Rookie of the Year honors leading a revitalized young group and high draft picks for coming seasons, Cavs fans have reason to stay interested in the team. Cleveland Unemployment rate. Cleveland Cavaliers Franchise Value. And Saving Money. Gathering Your Online Data. Vans Shoes. Fjallraven Bags. Ultra Boost. It's different this time. He's coming back. Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Cleveland has million reasons to want LeBron to stay.

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