The fifth and perhaps final act of LeBron James' NBA career is almost upon us. Amid speculation over where the NBA's all-time leading scorer will go, one familiar team seems to be emerging as the "team to beat."
It was longtime NBA insider Marc Stein who wrote on his Substack that the Cleveland Cavaliers have emerged as the team LeBron would like to play his final chapter with. Per the report, other NBA teams are gaining a "growing belief" that they will have to compete with the Cavs in order to bring LeBron into the fold.
It's a move that would make plenty of sense. The Cavaliers have a pressing need for someone to pair with Donovan Mitchell and were just in the Eastern Conference Finals.
LeBron could be the final piece to a championship puzzle, rather than having to be the driving force behind one - for a change.
LeBron and the Cavs
LeBron began his NBA career with the Cavaliers after being selected first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, quickly transforming his hometown franchise into a perennial contender. During his first seven seasons in Cleveland, James won two NBA MVP awards (2009, 2010), earned six All-Star selections, and led the Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 2007. He left the franchise in 2010 to join the Miami Heat, a move announced during the televised special "The Decision" that sparked widespread backlash from Cavaliers fans.
In his first stint with Cleveland, James averaged 27.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game while becoming the organization's all-time leader in nearly every major statistical category.
© David Richard-Imagn Images.
James returned to the Cavaliers in 2014, declaring his intention to bring a championship to Northeast Ohio, and immediately restored the franchise to title contention. Alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, he guided Cleveland to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 2015-2018, culminating in the historic 2016 NBA championship.
The Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 series deficit against the Golden State Warriors, marking the first comeback from that margin in NBA Finals history and delivering the city's first major professional sports championship in 52 years. James earned Finals MVP honors after averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists in the series before departing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, cementing his legacy as the greatest player in Cavaliers history.
