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Allow me to be blunt for a second.
Amid the latest hoopla concerning another LeBron James free agency, whiteboard on a podcast and all, I find the entire spectacle laughable at best. As the latest reports suggest, James is clearly telegraphing a storybook ending with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where it all began for the living legend. He is clearly manufacturing one last team choice "saga" of sorts that will look glitzy and dramatic for his apparent upcoming documentary, which will chronicle what many believe will be the final season of his NBA career. As fun as it is to think about James teaming up with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray on the Denver Nuggets or Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert on the Minnesota Timberwolves, these are way-too-obvious pipe dreams.
Something like that would truly only happen when pigs fly.
Barring something coming out of left field soon, a Cavaliers uniform will likely be the last NBA jersey James ever wears. And while I get James likely going back to his roots to finish his basketball career on his terms — he's earned that right more than anyone I can remember — I can't help but feel extremely disappointed by all of this.
ONE LAST RIDE: Ranking the LeBron landing spots by entertainment value
James going back to the Cavaliers is anticlimactic. He's already made a glorious return to Cleveland. He brought the franchise its only championship, the city of Cleveland's only major championship in the last six decades, while also engineering one of the greatest comebacks in sports history. Outside of an extended farewell tour, which is probably what James wants more than anything else, he has nothing left to accomplish as a Cavalier. The "Chosen One," so to speak, the kid from Northeast Ohio, already delivered what he was supposed to.
Because I can tell you one thing: A 42-year-old James is NOT going to Cleveland to help James Harden win an NBA title. There are reasonable asks, and there are Herculean tasks. I'll let you make a safe guess about what carrying Harden to a Larry O'Brien Trophy qualifies as.
Wouldn't it be awesome to watch James wring out every last drop of his ability during this new high-level role player stage of his career? Wouldn't it be more fun to try to become the first NBA player ever to win a championship with four different franchises? Wouldn't it be a fitting cherry on top for the face of the player empowerment era, the superstar who owned his own career and individual journey more than anyone else in basketball history, to become a beloved legend in one more city? Wouldn't it be wonderful to see the GOAT take on one more seemingly impossible challenge?
If anything could give "The King" a storybook ending, it'd be adding one more feather in his cap.
Of course, it's still reasonable and logical that James may no longer make decisions contingent on basketball. I don't begrudge him for doing something like riding off into the sunset without pushing himself too hard. He is, technically, past all of this noise. He is above it.
That doesn't mean I can't find this final free-agent extravaganza of his so predictable and so boring. What a shame.
This was Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: LeBron James finishing his career with Cavs is the expected but extremely boring outcome
Continue reading...
Amid the latest hoopla concerning another LeBron James free agency, whiteboard on a podcast and all, I find the entire spectacle laughable at best. As the latest reports suggest, James is clearly telegraphing a storybook ending with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where it all began for the living legend. He is clearly manufacturing one last team choice "saga" of sorts that will look glitzy and dramatic for his apparent upcoming documentary, which will chronicle what many believe will be the final season of his NBA career. As fun as it is to think about James teaming up with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray on the Denver Nuggets or Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert on the Minnesota Timberwolves, these are way-too-obvious pipe dreams.
Something like that would truly only happen when pigs fly.
Barring something coming out of left field soon, a Cavaliers uniform will likely be the last NBA jersey James ever wears. And while I get James likely going back to his roots to finish his basketball career on his terms — he's earned that right more than anyone I can remember — I can't help but feel extremely disappointed by all of this.
ONE LAST RIDE: Ranking the LeBron landing spots by entertainment value
James going back to the Cavaliers is anticlimactic. He's already made a glorious return to Cleveland. He brought the franchise its only championship, the city of Cleveland's only major championship in the last six decades, while also engineering one of the greatest comebacks in sports history. Outside of an extended farewell tour, which is probably what James wants more than anything else, he has nothing left to accomplish as a Cavalier. The "Chosen One," so to speak, the kid from Northeast Ohio, already delivered what he was supposed to.
Because I can tell you one thing: A 42-year-old James is NOT going to Cleveland to help James Harden win an NBA title. There are reasonable asks, and there are Herculean tasks. I'll let you make a safe guess about what carrying Harden to a Larry O'Brien Trophy qualifies as.
Wouldn't it be awesome to watch James wring out every last drop of his ability during this new high-level role player stage of his career? Wouldn't it be more fun to try to become the first NBA player ever to win a championship with four different franchises? Wouldn't it be a fitting cherry on top for the face of the player empowerment era, the superstar who owned his own career and individual journey more than anyone else in basketball history, to become a beloved legend in one more city? Wouldn't it be wonderful to see the GOAT take on one more seemingly impossible challenge?
If anything could give "The King" a storybook ending, it'd be adding one more feather in his cap.
Of course, it's still reasonable and logical that James may no longer make decisions contingent on basketball. I don't begrudge him for doing something like riding off into the sunset without pushing himself too hard. He is, technically, past all of this noise. He is above it.
That doesn't mean I can't find this final free-agent extravaganza of his so predictable and so boring. What a shame.
Shootaround
- Giannis Antetokounmpo shared a lovely tribute to his Bucks career and the city of Milwaukee.
- Speaking of Giannis, he got duped by a fake LeBron-to-Cavaliers rumor. More from Bryan Kalbrosky.
- Bryan also explored a DeMar DeRozan homecoming to Los Angeles after the Sacramento Kings waived him.
- HoopsHype: NBA history says the Jaylen Brown trade return could've been a lot worse.
This was Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: LeBron James finishing his career with Cavs is the expected but extremely boring outcome
Continue reading...
