Doesn't matter. If LeBron had stayed in Miami, they wouldn't have won a championship next year. The roster on the Cavs will improve with time while the Heat clearly were going downhill. If LeBron felt he could have won another championship in Miami, I have little doubt he would have stayed. But the Heat were a .500 team the last 2 months of the regular season and only made the Finals because of the pathetic Eastern Conference. LeBron actually experienced the "handwriting on the wall" and was sick and tired of it. For him, Cleveland Cavaliers > Miami Cavaliers. Bosh said they didn't have fun last season. (As long as he gets along with David Blatt) LeBron will have fun in Cleveland, championship or not.
Lebrons move back to cle was not about basketball in any way shape or form. Its bigger than basketball.
This. But Cleveland clearly has more potential than Miami going forward. However, as some people have mentioned, there are other options that are easier than Cleveland. I think it is a mixed motive for LeBron to go back to the Cavaliers. He is ditching Miami because the Heat is no longer viable. He is going back to Cleveland because it give s him a good shot while at the same time with all the warm and fuzzy feelings. Going to places like Chicago or Houston would clearly make him look like a ring chaser.
Right now, Las Vegas betting line puts Cleveland as the #1 favorite to win the 2015 NBA championship, so it is the professional talking with money on the line. No doubt I am taking Vegas position to say Cleveland is the favorite. People can talk whatever they want without putting down their own money, but when money is involved, you bet Cleveland, OKC, and Spurs are the top 3.
That's because many people will bet on Cleveland due to hype, regardless of stakes. It makes sense for Vegas to offer a bad deal to these people and take their money.
Thats true. So many people are betting on Cleveland, vegas has to adjust the line accordingly. But anyone who says "lebron would have stayed in miami if wade healthy, if they won this year, blah blah blah..." don't get it. LeBron went to cleveland for reasons other than basketball.
if wade was still playing at a high level and the heat beat the spurs i think he would have stayed. i think he knows wade is done and the heat had o cap space to really get better so it was either lose again in miami or go back and try to rebuild with cleveland. at least losing in cleveland wouldn't have as much "heat" as losing in miami.
If Wade was still a superstar, he's staying. If you saw his frustrations throughout the season and esp. the NBA Finals, he was playing by his lonesome most of the year. That's the main reason he left.
All correct, I'm just saying that the Cavs on paper aren't very good as of right now and would have been wrecked by the Spurs. They were a mediocre lotto team for a reason, the reason bring their team isn't very good.
If you believe that, then you didn't read the heart-felt letter HE wrote. That was not PR. HE WROTE THAT LETTER HIMSELF. His heart is in Cleveland and he made things right. This is bigger than basketball. If LeBron were only about Championships he would not have gone to Cleveland. He would have gone to Houston or Chicago or maybe even Dallas. Hell, he could have taken the vet minimum and played in San Antonio, Clippers, or GSW if he were really about championships.