Lebron James says he's leaving Cleveland

CLEVELAND -- After being swept in the NBA Finals by the Golden State Warriors with a 108-85 Game 4 loss, LeBron James said he has "no idea at this point" whether Friday was the last game he'll ever play with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"The one thing that I've always done is considered, obviously, my family," James said after putting up 23 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds while playing through a right hand injury. "Understanding especially where my boys are at this point in their age. They were a lot younger the last time I made a decision like this four years ago. I've got a teenage boy, a preteen and a little girl that wasn't around as well. So sitting down and considering everything, my family is a huge part of whatever I'll decide to do in my career, and it will continue to be that. So I don't have an answer for you right now as far as that."

Indeed, the first people James greeted when he walked off the court after Game 4 were his 13-year-old son, LeBron Jr., and 10-year-old son, Bryce, before making his way to the locker room, where he sat still, slumped in his chair with a towel over his face, in the immediate aftermath of his sixth loss in nine career trips to the NBA Finals.
EDITOR'S PICKS

LeBron can hit free agency again, and anything is possible
Stay with the Cavs, force a trade, team up with other stars: LeBron has lots of options this summer. Brian Windhorst puts them all on the table.

LeBron: I played with 'self-inflicted' hand injury
The Cavaliers star revealed after Game 4 that he "pretty much played the last three games with a broken hand."
Lowe: What LeBron's departure would mean for the Cavs
Dramatic moves brought Cleveland a championship in 2016. Now they might bring on the pain.
James has to inform the Cavs whether he intends to opt out of the final year of his contract with the team by 11:59 p.m. on June 29. Should he opt out and become an unrestricted free agent, Cleveland can outbid any other suitor by offering him a five-year max contract worth approximately $205 million. Other organizations can pitch James starting on July 1, but the Cavs don't have to wait since he is already on their team.
Sources close to James told ESPN that no conversations with Cleveland's brass about the four-time MVP's future with the franchise had occurred as of Friday night.

In terms of James' strategy, there are no plans right now for the three-time champion other than spending time with his family, sources close to James told ESPN. He will inform his advisers when he is ready to talk about his potential options.
James has changed teams during free agency twice in his career: first in 2010, when he left Cleveland to join the Miami Heat, leading to four Finals trips and two rings, and the second time in 2014, when he returned to the Cavs, resulting in four more Finals appearances and an additional ring.

Share: