Belated thank you

LeBron James finally thanked his fans in Cleveland on Saturday, making his first public appearance since he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. At his annual “King for Kids” charity bike-a-thon in downtown Akron, Ohio, James addressed a friendly crowd of several hundred people who cheered as he took the podium. “To the city of Cleveland, my fans in Cleveland, my fans in northeast Ohio,” said James, “I want to say thank you for the last seven years and the years that continue to go in the future.”

Last week, James came under fire for taking out a full-page newspaper ad in the Akron Beacon Journal in which he thanked the city of Akron for its support. The ad contained no mention of Cleveland, where James got his start in the NBA. – AP