Miami Heat fans still seeking comfort after LeBron James’ decision to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers may find solace in this: Y’all were three victories shy of keeping him.
What’s that?
It doesn’t help?
It actually makes you feel like someone’s throwing lethal-venom-tipped darts at your sternum with Peyton Manning-like accuracy while cackling chaotically in between reciting the lyrics to every Prince song ever?
Good to know.
The Heat enjoyed four years, four NBA Finals appearances and two championships worth of LeBron. That should be enough, but of course it’s not. Fans and teams aren’t in the business of renting transcendent talents if they can help it. The Heat had LeBron, then they lost him. He was on loan…only they didn’t know it. That can’t feel good.
And it may feel even worse now knowing that he might have stayed if they could have completed the three-peat against the San Antonio Spurs.
Said LeBron during an interview with CNN’s Rachel Nichols, as transcribed by For The Win:
“I mean, it’s a greater chance, for sure,” James said. “I mean, it’s — it would be hard to — to leave — back-to-back-to-back — championships, you know, and try to go for four. But obviously, you really can’t live — and think of what may have happened. You just kind of — for me, I’ve always been a person kind of live in the moment.”
Yours truly has shamelessly said this time and time again: LeBron wasn’t going anywhere if the Heat won three championships in a row.
No, I’m not a fly on LeBron’s bedroom wall nor can I read minds. I don’t shit crystal balls either. It’s just common sense.
Having the opportunity to chase four championships in a row is something he wouldn’t pass up. LeBron is very much aware of his legacy, and while we as fans and pundits have evolved enough to not weight titles as heavily—Dear World,….You’re freaking welcome….Signed, Advanced Statistics—they still matter.
Michael Jordan never won four championships in a row. (Probably could have if he didn’t catch that inexplicable baseball bug, but whatever.) Magic Johnson didn’t either. Playing in the still wide-open Eastern Conference—I mean, who would have been in the Heat’s way after Paul George went down? The Bulls? Maybe? Probably not?—LeBron and the Heat would have been locks to make it back to the Conference Finals. A fourth straight championship would have been well within reach, closer than most could have imagined.
Had he returned, and had he snagged a fourth consecutive title, perhaps he would have left—assuming, of course, he signed the same option-heavy deal with Miami that he did with Cleveland. Most likely not, though. You go for five if you have four. You ride that championship wave out. And LeBron would have surfed it until the bitter end (i.e. Dwyane Wade’s extinction). I’m sure of it.
Not that it matters anymore. LeBron’s in Cleveland, yucking it up with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, playing for another championship in Northeast Ohio. (Related: Is Love a member of the Golden State Warriors if LeBron’s still in Miami? The repercussions of a different decision stretch deep into the bowels of mind-melting theory. Damn.) Good for him. Good for Cleveland.
Good on you, too, Cavs fans who recognize you owe the Spurs the biggest thank you in the history of thank yous.
Good on you, indeed.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
