LeBron James made a return to Cleveland on Tuesday night as the Miami Heat faced off against the Cavaliers in a routine Eastern Conference matchup. James recorded one of the best quarters in his career as the forward recorded 25 points in the first quarter alone. Was it a sign of the future for Cavaliers? James downplays questions of a possible return.
For anyone living under a rock, James is set to become a free agent this summer if he wants to be. The reigning NBA MVP can opt out of his current contract with the Heat and test the market where every team in the league will be interested in his talents. The Cavaliers have not been quiet over the idea that he could return to his former and hometown team. However, James is not about to entertain those questions.
When asked about a possible return to the Cavaliers in the offseason, James simply responded, "for me to take my mind somewhere else when I know what's on its way (postseason) is almost impossible." James' response is not a surprise. The forward has taken this approach all season. With the Heat in contention to win their third straight NBA title, James is not about to start letting his free agency decision distract him.
However, that will not stop the media from speculating. Cleveland believes their core group of youth with Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters is enough to sway James into returning. That remains to be seen. Given recent comments made by Luol Deng regarding the team's immaturity and lack of discipline, Cleveland might not have that winning atmosphere that James left for in the first place.
One team that does, the New York Knicks. The team announced on Tuesday the official hiring of Phil Jackson as team president. It was the first step in getting the Knicks back on a winning path after a terrible 2013-14 season. Jackson certainly has star power, but is it enough to win over James? Carmelo Anthony believes the Knicks just got a lot more attractive to marquee free agents.
"Everybody as an organization, as a city, as a whole, our fans in general as well, everybody's excited to see that," Anthony said, via ESPN.com. "We are playing good basketball right now too, so it's like a lot of things coming into place right now. His résumé is his résumé. You can't change that. Everybody sees that. Regardless of who you are, what type of player you are, you see a Phil Jackson résumé and you automatically gravitate towards that."
