Another reason not to like the Cavs

Or more specifically, another reason to dislike LeBron “all about the dollars” James.

Cleveland Cavs reserve, Ira Newble encountered the genocide in the Sudan via a newspaper article, read up on the situation, and circulated a petition/open letter to the Chinese government. Only two team-mates refused to sign: LeBron James and Damon Jones.

Bloomberg.com: Opinion
... Newble, by his own admission, knew only ``a little'' about the atrocities before reading about Darfur in a newspaper.

Cited in the article he read earlier this season was Smith College professor Eric Reeves, who in mid-March received an e- mail from a professional basketball player whose name he didn't recognize.

``I couldn't sit back and do nothing,'' says Newble, 32, who hopes to visit Darfur this summer. ``It shouldn't just be about making money and living well. It's about what you can do for somebody else.''

With assistance from Reeves and Jill Savitt, director of the Olympic Dream for Darfur campaign, Newble drafted an open letter from professional athletes to China's government. Newble signed it first.

Armed with information, statistics and photographs Newble made the case to his teammates that they should sign, too. They spoke as a group first, then individually. Newble says he referred to the movies ``Hotel Rwanda'' and ``Blood Diamond,'' knowing his teammates would be familiar with the horrors chronicled on film.
Eleven Cavaliers put pen to paper.

LeBron did not. Neither did Damon Jones, who has a marketing contract with Li-Ning Sports Goods Co. Ltd., a Chinese sneaker and apparel maker.

copy of the letter posted here

(h/t)

Tags: Cleveland_ Cavaliers, /Darfur, /activism