Written by Noah Poinar

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In sports, there are two paths of loyalty.  The first is a fans loyalty to their team, and the other is a professional athletes loyalty to their contract.  That’s it, that’s as far as loyalty goes in professional sports.  It just so happens that these athletes play for our team, and our money, more or less, pays their salary.  So in other words, our respective loyalties directly intersect each other, and in consequence, from time to time things get a little messy.  Over the years, the dollars of the industry piled up, the fame increased, our exposure and awareness became constant, and we got attatched. The only thing we share in common is our ability to simultaneously exchange the harsh reality that “this is a business.”   In the end, really what we have is a complicated love triangle. 

But the relationship between the professional athlete and the fan isn't that complicated.  It's mutual; completely, one-hundred percent, mutual.  We’re only as useful to them as they are to us, and vice versa.  That’s all it is, that’s all it ever has been.  Do I care that the Browns are kicking Josh Cribbs to the curb?  No, I’m glad; the guy is over the hump.  I like Cribbs, I wish him luck, but as a fan I have an agenda, and so do you; you actually have the exact same agenda as me.  You probably don't need me to tell you this, but guys like LeBron James have their own agenda's, too.  When they conflict with ours, it sucks.  It really does.  The fact of the matter is that things like loyalty and integrity don't exist in the mutuality between athletes and fans.  We keep wanting to believe that they do; however,  only when it's convenient for us to believe so.  In the case of LeBron James, yea, it's more than convenient to believe so.  He broke our hearts, made us look dumb, you know the whole spiel.  When something of this magnitude happens, you remember.  And when it happens in your formative years, you hang on to the lingering side effects for a while, maybe even forever.   But in the giant realm of things, right now LeBron means nothing to Cavs fans; and Cavs fans mean nothing to him.  If he were to put on a Cavaliers uniform again, all of this will suddenly change.  And it’s supposed to.  That’s how it works.  

 

So when it comes to these rumors about LeBron coming back to Ohio, I'm not going to fight it.  I'm not going to hope, or wish for it, either.  In fact, it would appear that I'm about to disect it.   Don’t worry, I’m not proud of myself for doing this; I'm aware we still have 16 more months.  But whether you love it or hate it, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the overwhelming favorites to land the services of LeBron James in 2014.  This isn’t just something that could happen, it's something that likely will.   

 

If the Miami Heat has any intentions of keeping LeBron beyond the summer of 2014, they might want to start by exploring the plausibility of Inception, and whether or not its possible.  In other words, Pat Riley is going to have to find a way to convince LeBron that he can keep winning title with Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem.  The only other alternative is to convince James, Wade, and Bosh (or at least two of the three) to take another pay-cut, and ask Heat owner Mickey Arison to swallow the $48 million tax that would come as a result.  The ladder option seems do-able, until you recall last week, when LeBron was petulently bitching about the fact that he doesn’t get enough credit for taking less money to play in Miami.  Obviously we can't read too much into someone's words, especially a dude like LeBron, but I gotta say .... that I’m inclined to believe he won’t be signing another deal at a discount rate.  He's the best player on the planet, at some point you want to be paid like it.  

 

LeBron will pursue a max deal, and rest assured, he will get that max deal.  Financially speaking, as of right now, there are 11 teams that could potentially offer James max dollars in 2014: The Bobcats, Pistons, Jazz, and Kings, just to name a few.   But as you would expect, only a couple of teams will legitimately be in the running:  Namely the Hawks, Lakers, Cavs, and some dark horse team that will eventually emerge because they'll find a way to dump all of their cap space on some degenerate franchise like the Nets. 

Note:  The Nets and Knicks will not be among the teams in the running.  You might not have known this, but there's a certain disgrace threshold in sports, the ultimate form of embarrassment a franchise can attain —the Nets have attained it; the Knicks are one more first round elimination away from joining them.

 

By 2014, the Atlanta Hawks may or may not have Dwight Howard, so they are scary.  But they'd have to find a way to dump Al Horford, and the whole ordeal of doing so would just be a mess, not to mention a complete waste considering Danny Ferry is Atlanta's GM.  Wait, would LeBron actually team back up with Danny Ferry?  Likely not, but mostly because he simply wouldn't want to go to Atlanta.  But if he did... (slap-to-face)

 

The Lakers, meanwhile, could offer LeBron the following incentives:  The chance to play in Hollywood alongside Dwight Howard and a 43 year old Steve Nash.  And the fantastic, once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to finish his career in the shadow of Kobe Bryant.  (Hmmm, something about this doesn’t smell right.)  We’re not positive, but we’re pretty sure this is why LeBron passed on Chicago back in 2010 despite the fact that it was the best fit for him.  He didn’t want to play under the shadows of Jordan.  And I can’t blame him. 

We’re also pretty sure Howard won’t be staying in L.A.  The Lakers might actually be a worse fit than if he were to go to the Bobcats.  Who is the dumbass in the media who thought "Oh yea, LeBron would jump at the opportunity to fill Kobe's old shoes" and then decided to make this rumor?   Oh, wait, it was Brian Windhorst.  

If the argument is that L.A. is the perfect place for James to further enhance his brand and accomplish world domination as a global icon, I keep wondering why he wouldn’t have just gone to New York in the first place?   The biggest market in the country?  The opportunity to play in front of a sold out MSG crowd every night?  For a fan base that cares about their team, appreciates greatness and genuinely likes basketball?  Why?     

 

Better yet, why Miami?  Ok, I don’t feel like answering that.  But ultimately this is why LeBron’s decision was a double kick to the groin of every Cleveland fan.  Because he chose to go to one of the worst sports city’s —  a place built around clubs, beaches, night life, the idea of vice in general — and a city with the most apathetic and undemanding fan base in sports.  One thing’s for sure though, when the time comes to leave Miami in the rear view mirror, it won’t be that hard; there won’t exactly be a ton of negative backlash attached.  At least not as much as there would if it were, say, I don’t know, New York. 

 

This brings us to the Cavs, I guess.  Next season, their roster will consist of six first round picks, all likely 23 years of age or younger, and all selected within a three year time frame.  Considering that all of these players will still be under their rookie contracts — which pays significantly less in the new CBA than it did before — you can see why people like Marc Stein believe the Cavs are in the best situation of any team not named the Thunder.  Simply put, this team is ahead of the curve.  By miles.  What the Cavs are doing right now is something that has never been done before.  There’s no precedent for it; not even Oklahoma City.  I’m strictly referring to the amount of draft talent they have been able to collect in the ridiculously short span of time they have collected it.  It is unheard of.

Teams are desperate for picks, it’s become the name of the game under the league’s new bargaining agreement, and Cleveland has had more of them than any team.  And they conveniently began doing this just as the new CBA was signed.  Two years from now, the Cavs supporting cast could put Miami’s current group to shame.  

 

Right now would you trade Dion Waiters for Dwyane Wade?  

What about Tristan Thompson for Chris Bosh?  

Kyrie for LeBron?  

My Answers: No.  Hell No.  And, Booooooooo!!!  

Who knows how good these guys can become.  And let’s not forget to mention Greg Oden.  Too soon?  Did I jinx it?   Whatever.  With the addition of Bronson, the Cavs could, and likely would, become an instant dynasty candidate — and I hate the word dynasty, but I figure this might be the only chance I’ll ever get to use it.  Fans would get to enjoy the lavishes of being in a decade long, two horse race with the Thunder.  It’d be great, everyone could bitch about us, complain about how awful the league is, there’d be no more worries about having to compete with Miami in the East, there wouldn’t be anyone in the East, period; nearly every playoff teams cap is tied up right now.  Boston's screwed, New York's Screwed Brooklyn's, even Chicago and Indiana are screwed.  Kyrie Irving could have six championships by the time he’s 30.  And just think, while all of this is happening, those picks from Sacramento Seattle and Memphis will finally be trickling down into the harry hands of Chris Grant. 

If you think I’m out of my mind right now, maybe it’s been a while since you last saw LeBron James play a basketball game — and it’s not a crime if you haven’t, I don't blame you.

 

By 2014, the Cavs will have put together one of the all-time great “incentives-to-sign.”  Quite frankly, the competition won’t even be close.  Three years ago no one ever imagined we would be saying this.  Really, the fact that we are, speaks to how fun and entertaining this team has been.  I’m not even sure LeBron thought this would be possible. 

 

And this is the part where it gets weird. 

 

Hypothetically, let’s say that LeBron had a Cleveland return mapped out from day one: He was going to escape the persecution of Cleveland’s 50 year drought, go to Miami, get as much attention as possible, win a championship ... or two, or three... opt out after four or five years, return to Cleveland without the weight of the world (or Skip Bayless) on his championship-less shoulders, win a championship, or two, or three, maybe even try and attract someone like Carmelo, eventually retire, have his jersey retired in the rafters, purchase the Cleveland Indians, and live happily ever after.

Even if by some chance he had genuinely thought about this back when he originally left Cleveland ... look at what’s happening right now?  Kyrie Irving is happening. 

For all intents and purposes, Irving just had his first, second, or third official coming out party — sorry, I can’t keep track anymore, just go ahead and call it a coronation if you’d like.  If you’re LeBron, I don’t know, maybe you would rather just let the Cavs do their thing rather than impede on the situation?   I mean, depending on how far along this team is in two years, it might be awkward.  If LeBron ever envisioned himself returning to Cleveland, he probably figured that he would at least assume the role of LeBron again.  Now ... I’m not so sure.  I feel like if anything, all of this LeBron chatter made us fall in love with Irving that much more.  

But If LeBron is who we’ve painted him to be ( read Scott Raab’s book for the gory details) the irony is that he will all but likely return to Cleveland.    

There is a dilemma in all of this that hasn’t been touched upon.  And I figure I should mention in on account of, it's the title of this story.  

Personally, I don’t think the Cavs need LeBron to win a championship.  I really don’t.  But if at all possible, I’d like to avoid playing a team in playoffs that has LeBron on it; he happens to be THAT good, and I happen to be THAT desperate for a championship. 

But just as I say this, I realize, wait.  The Cavs vs LeBron in the playoffs?  That is drama at its best.   I stand corrected.  I want to see this.  I need to see this.  It’s really what I’ve been longing for this entire time, it’s just that the Cavs have sucked too bad for it to ever materialize and sink in.  It's the only type of way Cleveland could ever feel like we got proper revenge.  Though I'm not crazy about the whole "revenge over LeBron" obsession that some folks have, I am however a huge fan when it comes to rivalry-type stuff.  Doesn’t this at least need to happen once?  If it doesn’t, don’t we all lose, the entire NBA included?  

Could next year really be our last chance to see this happen?   

I don't know, but I'm starting to feel like this is a win-win situation.