NBA Rumors: Could LeBron James Actually Leave The Cleveland Cavaliers After This Season?
By Sam Richmond
The sky appears to be falling on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs have lost three of their last four games and now sit at a disappointing 18-13 this season and rumors are swirling that Cleveland players don’t believe in coach David Blatt, which could result in a mid-season coaching change.
But this latest development is surely the scariest for Cavs fans: LeBron James might leave after this season, according to Chris B. Haynes of Cleveland.com.
"There is immense pressure to keep The King happy.James, who turns 30 today, has no intention of compromising his prime years playing for a sputtering organization. He can opt out of his contract at the end of the season and become a free agent.Given the massive scrutiny he would endure if he departed Cleveland a second time, if his hand is forced, I’m told he won’t hesitate to make the appropriate business decision if it means bolting."
Even considering how bad things are in Cleveland at the moment, this report is hard to believe.
LeBron can’t leave the Cavaliers again, not after he portrayed his return to the team as a non-basketball decision and that he simply wanted to return home and do right by the people of Ohio that he left behind to join the Miami Heat in 2010.
Just read the opening paragraph of the famous letter James posted in Sports Illustrated in which he announced he was signing with the Cavs in July.
"Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now."
When LeBron wrote those words and echoed similar sentiments throughout the rest of the letter, he committed to the Cavaliers for this rest of his career.
LeBron has admitted he did not enjoy being viewed as a villain during his first season with the Heat. If James left the Cavaliers again, he would be entrenched in that villain role for the rest of his career. LeBron doesn’t want that, especially considering how beloved he is right now after returning home.
On top of that, James wrote in that letter and has repeated many times since that he understood that it would be a process for the Cavaliers to reach their potential. Would James really bail on that process just one year into it? He’d be viewed by many as the ultimate ring-chaser, leaving the young Cavaliers team he promised to lead presumably for a more championship-ready roster.
Perhaps’ James camp are the sources behind this report and they are using it to pressure the Cavaliers in order to make some moves to appease James. Because the idea of LeBron leaving Cleveland after this season is about as far-fetched as the New York Knicks making the playoffs this season.