For the first time in the 2025-26 playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers have won a road game. Moreover, after another big comeback, they're just one win away from taking down the top-seeded Detroit Pistons.
This might be just the fifth time James Harden has reached the conference finals, and the first since 2018 with the Houston Rockets. It may also be the first time Donovan Mitchell finally moves on past the second round.
That's why, regardless of how this season ends, LeBron James should be impressed. This might be the first time this organization puts together a deep postseason run without him, so he might feel compelled to return for the final chapter of his career.
Cavs' deep playoff run without LeBron just made a return conversation inevitable
James' legacy is already set, and it's hard to think of any scenario that could stain what he's accomplished. That said, leaving a fourth franchise at this point in his career certainly isn't the dream-like ending to his dream-like career.
If anything, joining a team that doesn't necessarily need him to win might be the ultimate full-circle moment for a superstar who didn't always get the help he needed in his first stint with the organization. The Cavs surely put together a stacked team in his return, but he was still asked to be "the man."
Now, with James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley leading the way, that doesn't have to be the case. Granted, all three of them have left plenty to be desired when asked to take the team on their shoulders, and there are more than fair concerns about their winning character, but that's what James is there for.
The Cavs won't need LeBron to suit up for 82 games and average 25-7-7 on 50 percent shooting and 38 minutes a night. They just need him to stay sharp and healthy during the regular season, sit during back-to-backs, get an occasional maintenance day, and give them a throwback performance every now and then.
James just proved that he can still play at a superlative level when his team needs him. Having a proven winner like him would've come in handily in those tough playoff moments that have led to so many Mitchell and Harden struggles in the past.
The Cavs are a legitimate championship contender in the Eastern Conference, and that's without the greatest player in franchise history. They may not be in a position to pay him as much money as other teams, but they might give James the best shot at a fifth ring before riding into the sunset.
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