Here we go again! Haven’t we blindly skipped down this yellow bricked road with James before?
The NBA star seems content with toying with the heartstrings of his beloved fans. They’re once again waiting on pins and needles for James to break their hearts as he takes his time deciding where he will play next season. And while some fans will jump with joy when he finally decides, others will get their hearts broken… again!
On the first day that NBA free agents were allowed to sign with their new teams, James continued to play stall ball on Thursday and did not reveal what he’s going to do, although there was a growing sentiment among NBA players and executives that he is heading back to Cleveland.
According to a league source, several Miami Heat players have resigned themselves to seeing James bolt for the team he started with and have expressed those concerns to other players across the league.
“There are guys he’d be playing with in Miami who definitely feel like he’s not coming back,” the source said.
But James maintained his silence, while virtually no details had emerged from the hour-long meeting that he held in Las Vegas on Wednesday night with Heat president Pat Riley. Afterward, the four-time MVP left to discuss his plans with family, with one Cleveland TV station saying that a source close to James’ agent, Rich Paul, disclosed that an announcement would be made by 11 p.m. Thursday.
That obviously did not happen, and James reportedly flew back to Miami with Dwyane Wade Thursday night and is expected to head to Brazil Saturday for the World Cup final.
Meanwhile, the scene in and around James’ hometown of Akron bordered on surreal. Scores of fans lined the streets outside his home in Bath as a steady stream of cars drove by, with the vehicles’ occupants stopping to ask if he had made an announcement. A half-dozen police officers had to maintain security outside the empty house, while awaiting what was billed as a major announcement that never came at 3:30 — the Akron area code.
All the while, James was at his basketball camp in Las Vegas, where Wade dropped by to chat and watch pickup games.
Meanwhile, the Cavs announced that Kyrie Irving signed the five-year, $90 million extension he agreed to last week when free agency opened.
Irving’s long-term presence with the team is seen as one of the major reasons that James will pull up stakes in South Beach and return to the Cavs.
Additionally, the Cavs were said to be trying to work on a deal with Minnesota for All-Star forward Kevin Love, which would turn them into instant contenders to win the East if James returns. The price for Love would likely start with the No. 1 pick from this year’s draft, Andrew Wiggins, along with other young players, including swingman Dion Waiters.
