Mitch Trubisky threw his head back and laughed Monday. He knew the question was coming.
The Bears quarterback has been open about his affinity for LeBron James and the Cavaliers. It was only natural for him growing up in Mentor, Ohio, 25 miles northeast of sports-obsessed Cleveland, to be a fan of his hometown team and its homegrown superstar.
That explains why Trubisky's tone briefly turned somber during a media appearance at a football camp in Naperville, Ill., on Monday, the morning after James left the Cavaliers again, this time for the Lakers and a four-year, $154 million contract.
Trubisky, when asked about his reaction to the James move, asked reporters for a moment to collect himself, took a swing of Gatorade and spoke.
"Yeah, it's tough. It's tough," he said. "The city of Cleveland, the Cavaliers took a hit yesterday. Not much to say. A personal decision on his choice.
"And I'm just excited about the Chicago Bears now!"
His smile returned as the assembled media laughed.
"It's football season as far as I'm concerned. I'm ready to go. I'll continue to watch LeBron and see what he does. But it's football season now."
Trubisky was 15 in July 2010 when James devastated Cavaliers fans by leaving for the Heat, a move he announced in a television special. Since then, Trubisky has graduated high school, played at North Carolina and was drafted second overall by the Bears last year.
"I was a LeBron fan, wanted him to stay in Cleveland for the hometown team, but he made a decision for his family," Trubisky said. "I think you've got to respect that. It's a lot different now that I am a pro athlete, you kind of understand there's a lot of things that go on behind the scenes and things you've got to think about _ think about your family, yourself and what's best for your future moving forward. So I've gained a new perspective on what other athletes in other sports _ and in our sport, as well _ have to think about and consider when deciding on their careers."
Trubisky has four years remaining on his rookie contract, so he doesn't need to know the ins and outs of free agency just yet. But his eyes are open to that part of the business, especially after the Bears used free agency to buy three new pass catchers for him _ receivers Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel and tight end Trey Burton.
"I'm still learning about (free agency)," he said, "but, yeah, I guess it's a great thing."
For the time being, Trubisky is enjoying his offseason and building up to July 19, when he and his teammates will report to training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill. He has spent time in Ohio with his family and participated in his high school's football camp. He also has done several speaking engagements in Illinois, an endeavor he admitted is new to him.
Trubisky on Monday sported the makings of a beard at the Offense-Defense football camp at North Central College.
"Doing a little experimentation," he cracked. "It's been real busy, so I haven't gotten around to (shaving) it. But I've gotten some compliments, so I think I might keep it going."
Trubisky appeared as part of his partnership with Gatorade. He addressed campers on the importance of hydration, took football questions from the kids and participated in a few drills.
"One of the easiest things to do to check if you're dehydrated is ... check your pee," he told campers. "It sounds funny. But if you go to the bathroom, and your stuff looks dark, then you're not drinking water, you're not drinking Gatorade, you're not doing things to train properly. You want that lighter color. You've got your parents and coaches to talk to about that, but you're got to continue to be aware of all those things."
"You don't want to have those bad dehydration symptoms, such as being tired, feeling fatigued, possibly dizzy or having a headache. If you do, you need to talk to your coach about it and make sure you're getting your proper breaks during practice, a drink of water, eating properly, continuing to replace electrolytes with Gatorade. I've had teammates in the past, I've seen full body cramps, dudes that had to come out of games and practices because they weren't doing the proper things to hydrate throughout the day."
