Lebron James returns to Cleveland to chase Michael Jordan
July 12, 2014 by Kelvin Hunt
It's old news now that Lebron James will leave the Miami Heat to return "home" to the Cleveland Cavaliers. James released the news to Sports Illustrated on Friday stating the following:
When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn't had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what's most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.
All of that is true, it sort of touches on the fact that James believes that bringing a championship to Cleveland will help define his legacy.
It will.
In fact, it's the only way that Lebron will continue to be able to be compared to Michael Jordan.
James was on his way to his first three peat before getting throttled by the San Antonio Spurs in the finals last month. If he had been able to complete that three peat, he would have accomplished something that Michael Jordan had done in his career.
Jordan went on to have two three-peats in his career and it's something that James was chasing, otherwise, he wouldn't have said what he said during the Miami Heat pep rally years ago about how many championships they were going to win.
When James wasn't able to even get the first three peat under his belt, he began to survey the landscape. He saw that Dwayne Wade is a shell of himself, Chris Bosh is Chris Bosh, and the supporting cast in Miami isn't supporting at all.
James is the best player on the planet and is in his physical prime. In his absence, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been able to stockpile #1 picks in the NBA draft to acquire an excellent young nucleus. If you throw in the fact that the Cavaliers will probably acquire the services of Kevin Love, James will be in a prime position get to the playoffs at the very least, if not the finals in a weak NBA east.
The story of James coming back to Cleveland is a powerful one. It speaks to his growth as an individual, a basketball player, but also of someone that realized he more than likely had no shot at winning multiple championships in Miami again.
James may not admit it, but he is chasing the greatness of Michael Jordan since he has always been compared to him. James probably would have had to win five to six championships in Miami to have been put in the same conversation as the greatest of all time as many consider Jordan.
However, bringing one or two to Cleveland probably equates to that if not more and keeps Lebron in that conversation.
Smart move Lebron. Smart move.
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3 thoughts on "Lebron James returns to Cleveland to chase Michael Jordan"
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Brent Vermillion
Winning one at Cleveland will not put Lebron in the conversation as the greatest of all time. Jordan one six. Kobe has 5. Tim Duncan has many. Kareem has many. Bird, Magic Johnson, etc. are all guys who have one way more than Lebron. Right now, Lebron has won 2 and lost more than he has won in the finals. He is not the greatest ever. By career he is not even the best currently playing — Kobe and the Spurs Big 3 have had better results than Lebron up until now. if Lebron is to be considered as one of the best ever, he will need a 3 peat or something similar in Cleveland.
frank thetank
I agree brent, I also would like to add that it takes more than talent to be the best player ever in the nba. It takes heart, soul, character, determination.. You can compare the talent levels of lebron james to just about anyone. But will you all please, stop giving this man the idea in his head that he can be the greatest basketball player of all time. It's already too late for that he's not the greatest of all time. it wouldn't matter if he built a new super team and won 20 championships he's still not the g.o.a.t not unless tommorow he wakes up and he is no longer lebron james.