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After two divorces, do Cavs fans want to tie the knot with James one more time?
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- After two divorces, do Cavs fans want to tie the knot with James one more time?
A homegrown megastar who's considered one of two greatest players of all-time, it's obvious how much LeBron James ' his roots still mean to him.
He references being "just a kid from Akron" whenever he accomplishes his biggest milestones, including winning his fourth championship with the Lakers and becoming the league's all-time leading scorer in 2023.
LeBron James looks on before a game against the Chicago Bulls. NBAE via Getty Images
As speculation swirls regarding James and where he 'chooses' to play next season as his career nears an end, a reunion in Cleveland could be the storybook ending.
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Built around All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell and burgeoning star Evan Mobley , the Cavs have a roster talented enough to make the NBA Finals. Darius Garland is close to returning form injury, but was finding his rhtyhm on offense and Jarrett Allen continues to be one of the best rim defenders in the game.
There's a possibility LeBron James returns to Cleveland. AP
James, an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year who's earning $52.6 million this season, would either have to take a minimum deal, or the franchise would have to offload money, breaking up their core of Mitchell, Allen, Mobley and Garland, who won 64 games together last season en route to the No. 1 seed in the East.
Would James agree to a minimum deal? If not, should the Cavs consider dealing two of their stars and sacrificing their future for one year of potential greatness with him? If James was willing to accept a minimum deal, would his return be a distraction for an up-and-coming team?
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While the financials can be ironed out, one wonders how Cavs Nation would feel about James returning for his swan song?
But after two divorces — none worse than the first — would Cavs fans be willing to get married for a third time? Even if it was just for one year?
Of the dozen fans The California Post spoke with at Rocket Arena before the Cavaliers hosted the Magic Monday night, it's clear there's a unanimous love and respect for James — but that's where the similar mindset ends.
LeBron James goes up for a dunk against the Bulls. AP
"I think it would ruin whatever chemistry we have," fan Matt Hands said. "Is it a distraction? Does it take away from what they're trying to build when he's not going to have more than a year left? Potentially."
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Hands, a 41-year-old professor at John Carroll University, said he'd love to see James return for a one-day contract and technically retire with the Cavs, but he wouldn't want him to play with the team for another season.
He's far from the only fan to feel this way.
Kevin Smith, a 35-year-old who works as a capacity planner for Sysco, fears James wouldn't accept a minimum deal and the Cavs would have to breakup their team. "We finally rebuilt from the last time he left," he said. "Do we really want to mess that up just for a sweet farewell?"
LeBron James reacts to a call during a game against the Chicago Bulls. Getty Images
Then there's Katie Swanson-Harbage, a 73-year-old who only cares about what's best for James, and she's guessing that wouldn't involve living in Ohio. "Would you want to live in this snow or would you rather live in LA?" she asked.
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Meanwhile, Brandon Baker, a 42-year-old who works in politics, believes James' return is inevitable.
"I'm expecting it to happen," he said. "We know that LeBron is into storybook, fairytale narratives. That's what happened when he came back the first time [in 2014], so where else would he end his career but Cleveland?"
To some, it doesn't matter as long as James is back where he belongs next year.
Shanice Cheatham, a 38-year-old medical student who was born in Akron, said James retiring in Cleveland would mean everything to her and her community.
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"For Akron, LeBron is the kid that made it out of there," Cheatham said. "Akron has its really rough spots and we didn't see much come out. To have somebody make it this far and be such a solid, well-rounded role-model, it's a dream for somebody from Akron. I just signed up for season tickets in hopes that he'd come back. Literally, today."
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That sentiment was echoed by Aidan Dance, a 26-year-old sales representative for a roofing company, who summarized his feelings in three words. "That's my hero." Dance said his devotion to James is so deep that as a child he'd cry whenever the Cavs lost. And as he has gotten older, he said his respect for James has only deepened after seeing what he has done for the community, his spotless reputation, and how he treats his wife and children.
"He's one of us," Dance said. "Everything is centered around LeBron James. He's meant everything to this city. He's given this city hope when we didn't have any. Even our economy is better when LeBron James is here. He's literally everything to this city. If he came back, I'd be a grown man crying again."
While the basketball world awaits for James' decision regarding his playing career, there's a chance it ends where it all started: Cleveland.
