Would LeBron James really have been able to leave another title? (USATSI)
We're about to kick off the 2014-15 season and LeBron James will be wearing the Cleveland Cavaliers' jersey once again. After a lot of assuming that LeBron would stick around in Miami prior to the offseason, he decided to go back home and try to finish what he started with his first NBA team back in 2003. But could there have been something that would have made those assumptions correct? If the Heat had won the 2014 NBA title, would LeBron have left back-to-back-to-back champions?
In an interview with Rachel Nichols airing Friday on CNN, LeBron says "it's a greater chance" he would have stayed with the Heat had they won their third straight title together. The Spurs' 4-1 destruction of the Heat didn't just end their season but it ended their run with LeBron spending his basketball seasons in South Beach. From the Sun-Sentinel:
In an interview to air Friday on CNN, LeBron James acknowledged that with three more victories in June he likely would have remained with the Miami Heat instead of signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in July as a free agent.
In the interview with Rachel Nichols for the network's Unguarded program that airs Fridays at 10:30 p.m., James said a third consecutive Heat championship likely would have preempted his eventual return to Cleveland. The Heat instead lost 4-1 in the NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs.
"It's a greater chance, for sure," he said. "I mean, it would be hard to leave back-to-back-to-back championships and try to go for four. But, obviously, you really can't live and think of what may have happened. For me, I've always been a person kind of live in the moment."
Cleveland and Miami both have their media days on Friday, as do all of the other teams who will be playing preseason games in an international setting (Toronto doesn't count). The two teams meet on October 11 in Brazil and then will play four times during the regular season starting on Christmas Day. We're going to get a few more "what if" scenario conversations with LeBron, the Cavs, and the Heat before those games are done.
As for now, James and the Cavs can begin their quest for the franchise's first NBA title while the Heat figure out how to rebound from the loss of LeBron while still fielding a playoff team this season.
Basketball Hot News
Victor Liz heading overseas, not to Mavericks training camp
Remember Victor Liz?
He’s the sweet-shooting Dominican guard the Mavericks reportedly signed for training camp?
Well, either that deal never became official or Dallas let him out of it.
Shams Charania of RealGM:
Dominican Republic free agent Victor Liz is working to re-sign overseas, meaning no deal with the Dallas Mavericks or another NBA organization, sources told RealGM.
This is no huge loss for the Mavericks. They already have 15 guaranteed contracts plus Charlie Villanueva, Doron Lamb, Ivan Johnson and Eric Griffin.
It’s unlikely any of the unguaranteed/partially guaranteed players crack the roster, and it would have been even less likely Liz was the one to make it.
If Dallas especially specifically wanted to audition a guard who’s an outside-shooting specialist, Lamb fits the bill.
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