LeBron James came through for Cleveland once more on Saturday night, banking in a buzzer-beater to take a 3-0 series lead on the Toronto Raptors and putting the Cavaliers on the brink of another trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
James has taken the Cavaliers and their fans to the promised land of an NBA championship, but with his free agency lingering over everything the Cavs have done this season, it’s inevitable that his relationship with fans in Cleveland could change after this season.
LeBron was asked about that after practice on Monday before the Cavaliers took on Toronto in Game 4 and he was mum about how his status among Cleveland fans has changed during his two stints in the Lake Erie city.
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“I have no idea,” James said. “That’s not a question for me.”
James said the Cavaliers have “a great fanbase here” but stressed his job is to make sure the Cavaliers as a team are ready, not worry about the fans.
The context of the question is pretty clear, though still worth talking about. James was universally revered by Cavaliers fans when he came into the league as a rookie and subsequently led Cleveland to the NBA Finals. Leaving for Miami in free agency, however, was a huge blow to his reputation among fans around the NBA, but those who cheered for him in Cleveland were devastated. Jerseys were burned. ‘Quitness’ was born. He was booed upon his return, and only coming back to Cleveland has mended those proverbial fences.
James has delivered an NBA title to Cleveland, though. It seems silly to say, but winning does really change everything. If LeBron is worried about whether he’s done enough to justify leaving once more, though, he isn’t showing it.
These occasional checks for perspective are necessary because the fact is, James not addressing his future leaves a lot of questions left to be asked. So until he has a place to play in the fall, he’s going to get these kind of questions asked in a number of different ways.
That doesn’t mean he will necessarily answer them, though.
