LeBron James celebrating over a shot. (Photo : Getty Images/Ezra Shaw)
The Cleveland Cavaliers have welcomed LeBron James with open arms and at the back of their heads, they were certain that the King would not leave them twice.
They were so confident they agreed to sign him on one-year deals to maximize the effects of the projected increase in the salary cap. No one was really worried and LeBron's free agency was nothing more than a technicality.
However, there are signs that James may be employing a different tone and even the Cavs themselves admit it as Zach Lowe mentioned in his latest column at ESPN.
"The organization is confident James won't leave again, but officials acknowledge it would be at least a slight possibility if Cleveland flames out," Lowe stated. "If he stays, James will have the clout to order another reconstruction. People who know James see a 31-year-old facing his basketball mortality -- watching a rival in Oakland seize the league and shorten James' championship window."
Lowe added: "If LeBron thinks he's running out of time, this specific group of stars has two months left to prove it can win at the highest level. These Cavs should make the Finals, but can they do more?"
LeBron is being criticized for his Finals record, which currently stands at 2-4. He did not return to Cleveland to lose in the Finals, he has done that twice for the city.
This is why he has been pushing his team all throughout the season and practically dictated the direction of the team.
One of the recent "signs" that most of the naysayers called out was James unfollowing the Cavaliers official Twitter account. It may seem frivolous to discuss but James' reaction when he was asked about added fuel to the fire, not to mention an entire First Take segment.
In that video, both Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith agreed that LeBron James returned to Cleveland for his family and for his hometown, not for the Cavaliers organization. They even reiterated that James and his camp have not forgiven the scathing letter that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert wrote.
What is clear is that the Cleveland Cavaliers have a deadline, as Lowe mentioned. If the Cavs fail again, anything is possible and as DeAndre Jordan demonstrated last summer, nothing is binding if there's no signature on the dotted line.
