You can't choose where you are born, but you can choose your home

LeBron, of course, made an appearance at the Q last night to honor his former teammate, Zydrunas Ilgauskas. LeBron grew up just a few towns away, and we used to assume that he was one of us simply because he was born here. He wasn't, and he left.

Last night, we were reminded that it can go both ways. Ilgauskas did not grow up where we did. He was born in Lithuania, a country of less than three million people located across the Atlantic Ocean in that precarious position between Europe and Russia.

He came here initially only because of a fate handed to him by the NBA Draft. And he left for Miami once, too.

But today, Cleveland is his home. He chose to live here, and to raise his children here. He is absolutely one of us.

We can't expect every athlete who plays here to do the same. We should, however, cherish the ones who do.

So congratulations to Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the franchise's all-time leader in games played, rebounds, and blocked shots. And a true Clevelander, through and through.