LeBron James ‘not promising’ a championship in Cleveland
LeBron James obviously plans to handle himself much differently this time around with the Cleveland Cavaliers. For starters, he made it clear in his announcement on Friday that he is “not promising” a championship.
“I’m not promising a championship,” LeBron said in the piece he wrote with the help of Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins. “I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010.”
That is not insignificant. Before the 2010 playoffs began, LeBron said in an interview that his goal was to win a championship with the Cavs and he was not going to stop until he achieved it. He then left Cleveland in a way that turned out to be the PR nightmare of the century. Now that he is back, LeBron knows he doesn’t need to set the expectations any higher than they already are.
“My patience will get tested. I know that,” James added. “I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys.”
The Cavs will be the favorites to win the 2015 NBA championship, but that doesn’t mean it will happen. Teaming with a young guard like Kyrie Irving and other young players is much different than joining established veterans like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. I’d be surprised if LeBron didn’t win a ring with the Cavs, but it might take two or three years.
In reality, we know LeBron’s second stint with Cleveland will be a failure without a championship. The fact that he said he isn’t promising it just shows he has learned from past experiences.
