LeBron's 2011 Provides Happy Ending to Esquire Writer's Book

By Cam Martin 

If you’ve titled an upcoming book The Whore of Akron: One Man’s Search for the Soul of LeBron James, then you’ve probably spent the last few days on an ethereal plan occupied by Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitski and Dallas Mavericks fans. Esquire writer Scott Raab is not a Mavericks fans; he’s a Cleveland fan, and in turn probably the biggest LeBron James hater the world has yet produced. Ergo, the title of his book, which now has a happy ending given James’s disappearing act in the NBA Finals.

“I could never in a million years dream of such a happy ending,” Raab told Richard Sandomir of The New York Times. . “I was expecting a Clevelandish ending. No kidding. I’m not dumb enough to cast aspersions on James’s ability. I thought he’d come up with the greatest performance of his career and turn the story on its head.”

He added, “The Germans must have a better word than schadenfreude for this.”

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Raab was probably James’s most venomous critic, at least among the media, and took to calling him “The Whore of Akron” on Twitter after James’ classless ego-driven decision to announce his intentions to sign with the Heat during an ESPN special called “The Decision” last summer. Raab’s antics prompted the Heat to refuse to give him media credentials throughout the season. Luckily watching a game in person and asking questions in the locker room is not a prerequisite for writing a book about a professional athlete.

Raab’s tome will be published by HarperCollins in November.

(Photo: New York Times)

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