With only one game a day at best, talking fills up a lot of the airwaves, even when it has only to do with hypothetical. Charles Barkley wants LeBron James to go back and play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but there is no sense for James to make a decision that pretty much gives him nothing at this point of his career.
Barkley never liked James going to Miami with the whole ‘Decision’ bravado, and was quite happy to take shots at James as long as he wasn’t a champion. Then 2012 happened, and everyone who was hating on James had to change some of their narrative.
I’ve always thought he was going to go back to Cleveland. Nobody dislikes LeBron. I think LeBron made a huge mistake with that ‘Decision’ crap. He’s come back and since admitted that. That’s the only thing people hold against LeBron. He’s a great player, a great person. I hope he goes back to Cleveland. Those fans in Miami are not real fans, those fans in Cleveland are real fans. I’ve always hoped he would go back to Cleveland. That would be a great way to finish his career.
We’ve gone over NBA loyalty, which doesn’t really exist, a number of times. James wasn’t disloyal to the Cavs. He might have been able to choose a much better way of going about his business and making his decision than making it a TV special on ESPN, that helped build up his decision before destroying him with criticism and turning him into the villain of the 2010-2011 season. But owing the Cavs something? Especially Dan Giilbert?
Maybe James will leave the Miami Heat pretty soon. He can opt out of his contract this offseason although no one believes he will do so. He also has a player option for the 2015-2016 NBA season. It’s hard to say what the Miami Heat will look like by then, but maybe sticking around won’t be the best option for him by then. Other teams and landing spots will be available.
While the story of James finally bringing a championship to a pro team in the state of Ohio where he grew up and lived until 2010 would be quite astonishing, but it won’t really make a difference in his legacy; not a national and historical level. Local hero? Sure, but James is well beyond that point in his career and standing as a global, yes global, icon.
Winning titles has always seemed to be on top of the list, but it is obviously combined with playing alonside friends and making money. James took a paycut to play for the Miami Heat, and he might do so again if any other team presents him with the opportunity to extend his trophy cabinet. We’ll know a lot better about his intentions and where he’s going after this season ends, as his fate is also tied to Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, but from almost every angle and priority taken into account, playing for the Cavs again doesn’t seem to benefit James.