A big story in the NBA this summer was the future of LeBron James. There had been murmurs that the King was going to depart the Purple and Gold and finish up his career elsewhere. The reality is that he opted in his $52 million player option to return to LA.
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Still, the chatter about LBJ departing the West Coast was loud, especially since it’s clear that the 40-year-old icon probably only has a couple of seasons left. Some predicted that a return to Cleveland would make sense, especially since the Cavs would have a good chance to win the East, as the Celtics and Pacers are no longer a threat.
What stirred the post even more was how Luka Doncic has clearly taken the mantle from LeBron in Los Angeles. The Don and The King did have some symmetry as teammates, but the Lakers organization has made it clear that Doncic is their new figurehead.
One person who wanted to weigh in on this was Charlamagne tha God. The famed TV personality appeared on Andrew Schultz’s Brilliant Idiots podcast to speak on why James should have just gone back to the Cavs, where he predicted them making the Finals easily.
“I understand LeBron James wanted to get his money. But to me, it’s like going to Cleveland for your last year, taking less money, just to sign with that team cause you were a free agent, you in the Finals next year,” said Charlamagne.
“Easily,” he added. “If LeBron James goes to join that Cavaliers team and takes a little less money, you in the Finals next year. I’m shocked that he didn’t make that move. I really am.”
Charlamagne wasn’t done there either. He expressed how difficult the Western Conference is with the Thunder, Nuggets, Wolves, Clippers, Warriors, and Rockets, but how the East would have been a walk in the Park for Bron.
“I don’t think they gonna be deep enough to do it. In the West. But if he had went to Cleveland next year, everybody’s hurt. It would have been Cleveland and the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, which it’ll probably still end up being.”
It’s a solid thesis from Charlamagne. Seeing LeBron back on the Cavs would have been another full-circle moment, and a fitting way for him to end his career. However, winning on the Lakers is about as big as you can make it in the NBA. It’s like winning on the Yankees or winning on the Cowboys.
LeBron didn’t do himself any favors when he tweeted congratulations to Brandon Weems and other members of the Cavs organization, which gave some people the impression that he was playing 4D chess.
However, NBA insider Shams Charania also noted that LeBron has been monitoring the Lakers’ moves closely, an indication that he is clearly interested in remaining with the squad.
And although not a perfect improvement, the Lakers are a better team on paper than they were last year. They added big DeAndre Ayton, former DPOY Marcus Smart, and have locked in Luka, who is now super buff, to a three-year extension.
As fun as it would have been to see James back in Cleveland, the truth is we got that reunion already. He succeeded there, won them a title, then moved on. If he does decide to move, it should be to a different franchise, one that he can dramatically help win a title. Perhaps the Mecca? Or a trip over to Golden State?
Either way, the summer is steadily approaching its end, which means we’ll only be a few months out from NBA preseason.
