Congratulations, Golden State Warriors (and sorry, LeBron James). You guys have finally acquired redemption after blowing a 3-1 lead at last year’s championship, which brought the Cleveland Cavaliers back on top. Now that the season is over, teams will try to do what is necessary and compete with Dub Nation’s so-called super-team.
Nevertheless, one should not take for granted the possibility of LeBron James leaving his team in pursuit of a greater group. Because seriously, he did it before and there is no reason he will not do it this time. Well, in fact, the percentage is higher considering how they have lost to Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant’s powers.
Interestingly, there are actual reasons why the King will resort to building his empire in another land.
LeBron James is not really in for the money
In all seriousness, the guy is overflowing with cash. Think about the endorsements he currently has, with Nike being the biggest one. Believe it or not, his contract with the shoe company is enough to take care of a small country’s needs. The argument here is that James will not be motivated with whatever amount of money the Cavs’ front office will offer him. Heck, the money he will get from them will not even top what he is getting from all of his endorsements.
LeBron James has proven once that he cares more about this legacy than the greener pasture.
With this legacy of his being stained by the Warriors, he definitely is thinking of a way back to the throne. This is where reason number two enters.
Cleveland no longer has bigger free agents
Unlike any other cities, Cleveland does not have the nightlife and whatnot that a city like Los Angeles can offer. If there is one absolute reason players tend to compromise, it is because they want to play alongside LeBron James.
However, this is just a part of a bigger issue. The Cavs do not have the salary luxury to acquire a bigger free agent player. If they want to, they will have to make a huge sacrifice and compromise.
There are rumors about James and the Cavs interested in acquiring either Carmelo Anthony or Paul George. For this to become a possibility, the team has two options: 1.) a player of high value (say Kyrie or LeBron) will opt to have a salary cut off in order to pave the way for the front office to make some deals; 2.) they will have to trade Kevin Love.
The latter, in particular, is deemed the most expendable player in the team. Sorry, Love.
The King has already fulfilled his promise
It holds true that LeBron James promised his townsfolk a ring after being in a championship drought for years. Fortunately, this promise was fulfilled when they defeated the Warriors in last year’s NBA finals. Now that he has paid debts, he certainly owes the fans nothing. Perhaps, he will realize that aiming for a bigger picture will be the best road to take.
One cannot deny the fact that LeBron James is so eager to put his name next to Michael Jordan. But in order to do that, he must win as many championships as MJ did in the past. With Cavaliers losing at this year’s championship, it is really possible for James to fill that void and to fill such, it will have to be on another team.
