It is understandable to think this headline is an error, considering LeBron James' performance this season, and especially this playoff and championship series. James averaged 33.6 points, 9 rebounds and 8.4 assists to will the Cleveland Cavaliers to the championship over the Boston Celtics in seven games, and went on to average 34 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10 assists though the Golden State Warriors swept the Cavs in four games. It is some of the most extraordinary basketball to have been played, but the greatest individual talent in the NBA is not enough to beat the greatest collective talent in the NBA, and it was unceremoniously confirmed by the brief championship series.
James has proven he can take most any team, in spite of his teammates, to the championship- but he can't win it. No one can blame James for the performance of his teammates, but he can be blamed for why they're on the Cavaliers in the first place, and why the team can not meaningfully fix the team in the short term to get James the support he needs.
Unlike any of the greats before him, such as Jordan, Bird, Kareem, Magic or Kobe, James was unofficially given GM powers by the Cavs. James put his thumb on the scale for his friends Tristan Thompsan and J.R. Smith, to get outsize contracts for their contributions. In the fall of 2015, LeBron publicly leaned on the Cavs to sign a deal with Thompson, and ultimately he signed a $82 million five-year deal, which at the time was deemed a bad deal for the Cavs, critics claiming they greatly overpaid him. James did the same for J.R. Smith in the fall of 2016, and he was signed to a four-year, $57 million contract, with critics again saying he was overpaid. This season, their performance did not match their contracts, costing James a championship. The current head coach, Tyronn Lue was initially the assistant coach to David Blatt, and when it was clear James preferred Lue over Blatt, Blatt was fired and Lue now has the job.
Leading up to this season, the Cavs general manager Koby Altman overhauled the team at the trade deadline, and coach Lue rotated starting line ups, and now, outside of trading some of their assets, they have a tough case to make to sell James on staying in Cleveland. James has a decision to make: stay with the Cavs, a team he can't win with but that he forced them to build, or go elsewhere (Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Boston are where pundits predict), and perhaps again demand to have the power to choose his supporting cast once again. Therefore, likely to find himself in the same predicament he was in Cleveland.
For all of James' on-court talent, how he wields his power, and the extent of his demands, is impacting his championships. James' weakness is wanting too much control where his expertise doesn't lie. One could argue one of the reasons he finally won two rings in Miami is because he played under a good owner, Pat Riley, and a good coach Eric Spoelstra. Riley forced James to stay in his lane, which helped lead to those championships. His demand for power and control of the team is costing him championships, and valuable years in his prime. He is the greatest basketball player in the world, that's all he needs to be. Even someone as great as LeBron James has blindspots, but it's about managing them, and surrounding yourself with smart people you know will check your worst instincts. To set himself up for success, he needs to join a team whose owner he trusts, and whose decisions he will accept, so he can focus on what he does best—playing ball.
