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LeBron James sat on the podium following what was to prove the final win of his season – 48 minutes played in a win of Game 7 in Boston to send him to his eighth final NBA – and made a statement before even uttering a word.
"There is no magic pill," read the white letters embroidered on the front of his black baseball cap, which became evident when James grabbed the microphone and looked at the reporters in front of him.
For a man who often finds a way to make his clothes send a message – remember his T-shirt "Ultimate Warrior" after the victory in the final 2016? – It was worth reading in the hint behind the hat.
A plausible interpretation can read the line similar to the Nike slogan plastered on tees celebrating James when he won his first championship with the Miami Heat: "Earned not given."
For someone with so many natural abilities, James has rebuffed the perception of his entire career that he is good because he was built with more height and athleticism than his peers. . However, he feels the care he puts on his body and the attention he pays to his craft are the real reasons he has succeeded. That's the reason he felt a connection with Conor McGregor when the MMA hunter said, "There's no talent here, it's a tough job, it's not easy." is an obsession.
There is no magic pill that allowed James, now 33 years old and just finished his 15th season, to participate in the 82 games of last year. No magic pill that brought him to eight finals in a row. No magic pill that allowed him to stay near the top of his sport nearly two decades after his burst on the national scene in adolescence.
If the Cleveland Cavaliers had lost that match 7 against the Celtics, the hat could also have been considered a sign of James' imminent decision on freedom of action, and that would have been just as appropriate.
There is no magic pill that immediately puts James in a team that will be favored to beat the Golden State Warriors and line up the # 4 ring for him. No magic pill that will make Philadelphia's younger core less subject to injury and playoffs. No magic pill that will allow Houston to keep all his ancillary pieces and to go out again and add James to his stellar backyard of James Harden and Chris Paul. No magic pill that will help the Lakers to accumulate talent simply because they are in Los Angeles.
Which brings us to the Cavs.
The team with which he spent 11 of his 15 seasons as a pro and who plays his games about 40 miles north of his home town of Akron, Ohio – in front of the fans, as he l & # 39; 39, described in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference. think, "They know me." The team that has several people close to James on the payroll: Randy Mims as executive director of player programs and logistics; Brandon Weems as Director of Scouting; Mike Mancias as athletic trainer and athletic liaison. The team that accepts James' personal biochemist, Donnie Raimon, in his inner sanctuary.
Cleveland recognizes the importance of keeping James fresh from basketball by planning a field trip to Napa Valley, California, and giving his blessing for James to go down to Miami to hang with his former teammates from the heat, as he he made between the second round and the conference finals these playoffs.
And, do not forget, it's the team that has found itself in a unique possession game during the last minute of regulation at Games 1 and 3 of this year's final against Golden State.
Last week, two members of the 2017-18 Cavaliers – a player and another staff member – relayed to ESPN that they believe Cleveland has the best chance of any team to land. James.
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A small sample size, certainly, but also an indication of the belief that exists around the franchise despite a year full of negative Vegas ratings and #hegone tweets that fueled public perception that James' departure was from # 39; advance.
James told Cleveland.com in April that the two determining factors for his summer decision would be the family and the win. He explained that Cleveland had been eliminated from the final, mentioning his family – especially his two sons, LeBron Jr. and Bryce Maximus – who would make his decision as to their future, but he added, "It will eventually fall to me. above. "
James' eldest son is 13 years old and enters eighth grade. James could withdraw from the last year of his contract with the Cavs on Friday and sign with the Cavs on a one-plus-one contract – the first year guaranteed with the second year being a player option – and align his personal decision As to whether to leave Cleveland permanently or not, Bronny will choose the high school where to register.
Some might say it would mean the circus following James' decision for another 12 months, but when did James avoid the spotlight? As David Griffin, former general manager of Cavs, said, James "feeds on chaos".
Add to the fact that, as reported by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, James will not be looking for complicated pitch meetings and free agencies this summer; There is a sense of James who already knows what he needs to know.
"There will be no show of dog and pony," said a source close to the thought of James ESPN.
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Jalen Rose and Michelle Beadle react to LeBron James in deciding that he does not want elaborate recruiting sites teams.
If you strip the speculation and the pump and circumstance, what's left are the facts about his situation in Cleveland.
With 29 games remaining in the 2017-2018 season, Cleveland completely reorganized his roster, and then withstood a series of injuries and medical leave from his coach and still managed the final.
These mid-season trades, which seemed dramatic at the time, have become a kind of annual tradition for a Cleveland team trying to chase the championships: the JR Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov trades in 2015; the Channing Frye trade in 2016; and the acquisition of Kyle Korver in 2017.
And the owner Dan Gilbert, regardless of the status of his relationship with James, has spent more than any other owner over the past four years: $ 450.9 million in salary, not including the luxury taxes, with the next team the closest. $ 406.1 million. Publicly, at least, Gilbert has come to understand fully the value of James, declaring in a recent podcast appearance of Business Insider: "Legally, [James] maybe working for our organization, but that's not really the case. He is more of your partner, really. "
Then there are James' own words, more explicit than what was sewn on his hat, when he repeatedly mentioned that he had ended his career in Cleveland and also his desire to shape the reputation of the Cavs franchise. the Chicago Bulls, the Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Yankees when he was a growing child.
"I've tried putting this franchise to a level that's always seen in a positive light," said James Nichols to ESPN's Nichols on the eve of the first game of the finals. "From a basketball point of view, from a social point of view, from the point of view of the brand, I get a lot of light and headlines, but I'm part of it, as long as I play here for this franchise, when you see the Cavaliers I want you to think about prestige and a great organization. "
Stay with the Cavs, force a trade, team up with other stars: LeBron has plenty of options this summer. Brian Windhorst puts them all on the table.
For the third time in his career, the offseason revolves around LeBron James. Here's all you need to know about The Decision 3.0.
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He was a forerunner of his comments later in the series when he talked about his desire to play alongside "a talent group, but also a group of minds to be able to compete with Golden State. "
A source close to James told ESPN that on his return to Cleveland in 2014, he acknowledged that he was joining an organization that needed leadership and guidance, and that he should give the your.
Whatever imperfections the Cavs might still have four years later, it only makes James' role much more important. If he wants the organization to take advantage of the exceptionalism, professionalism and IQ of basketball, maybe it will have to be one that will continue to be the example to follow for others.
And there was another message, or rather another, from James that could have been a telling clue as to Cleveland's chances this summer.
When James left the field after the fourth game of the final as Cavs' first player to go to the locker room, he greeted his sons with handshakes. He kissed his mother, then kissed his wife down the tunnel, but he did not stop to recognize or greet the crowd to say goodbye.
Perhaps because he did not need to do it for the moment.
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