With the crowning of the Golden State Warriors as NBA champions yet again on June 8th (the fourth chapter in the Finals rivalry that few outside of Oakland or Cleveland asked for) there were signs of what may soon be another seismic shift in the world of basketball.
Yup, I'm talking LeBron James dramatically moving himself to yet another locale in pursuit of yet another ring.
It seems a foregone conclusion after J.R. Smith's mind-bending decision to pull down the ball and attempt to reset (or something), despite Game 1 being tied at 107. The disgust, the anguish, the pure disbelief was evident on James' face. After all, he dropped 51 points in that game or approximately 48% of Cleveland's final total of 114. James posted the most points ever in a loss in the NBA Finals.
Cleveland scored 103 and 102 points in the next two games respectively. And then the floor dropped out from underneath them in the critical Game 4. Facing elimination in what may perhaps be their last sniff at a championship in a long time, the Rock and Roll City only managed to muster 85 points.
The result? The first 4-0 sweep in an NBA Finals since 2007 (which ironically was also to the detriment of a LeBron-led Cavaliers team).
So, will James' career end the same way it opened, with a Finals sweep to a superior, dynastic competitor? Not if the King has anything to say about it.
While no one can say for sure what is going through the mind of LeBron James at this very moment, the one thing that is clear is that he is not satisfied. He was not satisfied with the lackluster performance of his teammates both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Having earned either the #1 or #2 seed in the previous three seasons, the Cavaliers were relegated to the #4 seed this year, bested by the likes of Toronto and Boston. They then almost lost to those same Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, needing multiple 40+ point performances by James to even power themselves to a Game 7.
With reports now surfacing that James was playing with an injured hand throughout the series with the Warriors, it is glaringly apparent that this team runs through him, perhaps even more so than any previous iteration of a LeBron-team. With Kyrie Irving gone and Kevin Love and J.R. Smith not doing quite enough in support of the King, it's not hard to see how his campaign for a fourth ring crumbled.
No one can say for sure, but there's good money on the idea that James is hungry for more championships. After all, the man is 33 years old and he's still in the conversation for yet another league MVP award. That's not necessarily better than Jordan, but that's darn near on the same level. And besides, James has half the number of rings that Jordan does.
None of this to fault James. I understand the desire. Not only is it an issue of legacy, but LeBron James is paid to win basketball games and (more specifically) to win championships. That end goal now seems infeasible in Cleveland, given what's going on there. Or at least, to James it does. After all, Love and the rest aren't necessarily bad players. The center from Santa Monica shot about 42% from three-point range this season and 46% overall, not to mention serving as an 88% free throw shooter.
What's missing in Cleveland, according to James, is the sort of cerebral nature that the Golden State Warriors possess. Having fantastic situational awareness and the ability to nullify an opponent's strengths, as well as the adaptability to change on the fly, the Warriors are near Belichick-esque in what they do, and light-years ahead of both the Cavaliers and, frankly, the rest of the NBA. How else did they manage to wiggle their way out of a nasty Game 7 with the Rockets? Sure, possessing superstars like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant help, but there's something more at play here. James recognizes that.
I also don't completely want to preclude the idea that LeBron will return to the Cavaliers. After all, he is at the latter half of his career and Cleveland is his hometown. His sons are older. Even Dwyane Wade thinks family will play a bigger role in his decision this time around.
Still, I don't believe Kevin Love or Kyle Korver are necessarily "cerebral" in the way that Curry is. And while there's no obvious spot that would create that sort of mentality instantly, team James up with any other couple of All-Stars not named Love, and the King very well could be on his way.
Ultimately, this is almost all speculation. I the novice really know little more than most. And yet the potential consequences of The Decision II get even the layman thinking. With the drama that surrounded his first departure from Cleveland, one can't help but wonder, if he does decide to leave…what kind of cries will great him? Cries meant to deride or cries of solemn thanks?
By June 29th we'll know.
