Ever since the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA championship back in 2016, there has been a lot of pressure on the team. Fans of the NBA expect the team to be one of the only teams that can compete with the Golden State Warriors as they are undoubtedly the super team of the NBA. However, after barely squeaking by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of 2018 NBA Finals, there is a lot of doubt whether the Cavaliers have what takes to be the best anymore.
The downfall of the team all began when Kyrie Irvin left the team. There were rumors floating around that Irving was threating to get surgery before the 2017-2018 season, which would have left on the injured list for quite some time. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers ended up getting an injured Isaiah Thomas. Even after Thomas was cleared to play, it was obvious that he was causing issues as he was still upset about how the Boston Celtics let him go.
There is also seems to be a huge disconnection between Tyronn Lue and the players. There are countless videos showing LeBron and Tyronn Lue disagreeing with each other. Fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers also notice that Tyronn Lue has been making questionable decisions that clearly affect the outcome of the Cavaliers success.
Now, when you take the success of the Cleveland Cavaliers over the past few years into consideration, one name is constantly repeated. LeBron James.
This is because LeBron James has proven time and time again that he has the ability to single handily bring a team to the playoffs. This season is no different. This is why the managers of the Cleveland Cavaliers have to do there best to keep LeBron happy so that he stays in Cleveland. They attempted to do this when they stirred the NBA with this year's deadline trades. But these trades were all hype as LeBron seems to be carrying the team more than ever. LeBron had to tell Tyronn Lue that he wasn't leaving the floor for a break as he probably knew that he was the teams only chance of getting past the Indiana Pacers in this year's Finals.
While we would all love to assume that LeBron is an invincible force on the basketball court, he is only human and all the work he has been doing to keep the Cavaliers afloat over the years has taken its toll.
A lot of people don't consider the fact that LeBron is 33 years old. In an interview with Power 105 The Breakfast Club, former NBA star, Matt Barnes, revealed that while he didn't retire until he was 37 he started to think about retirement at age 30. With LeBron being a hero beyond the basketball court, helping build organizations that put kids through college, there is a good chance that the thought of retirement has crossed the mind of LeBron James. This is why it wouldn't be surprising to see LeBron sign with the Houston Rocket or, god forbid, the Golden State Warriors.
While we would all love to see LeBron retire as a Cleveland Cavalier, we must take his well-being into consideration. With James only getting older, will a future on the Cleveland Cavaliers do more harm than good?
