LeBron James and former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin had a complicated relationship. James publicly endorsed him to secure a contract extension, and he was the architect of the championship-winning team, but they didn't always seem to see eye to eye.
That's why there might not be much love lost between the former GM and the four-time NBA champion. It might also be why he could be trying to sabotage a potential LeBron homecoming next season.
While no longer affiliated to the Cavaliers organization, Griffin's latest comments on James' dominance in the Eastern Conference may have rubbed him the wrong way, and this is the worst time to try to get on his face.
David Griffin says LeBron James benefited from a weak Eastern Conference
“One of the things that we benefited from was that we were in a historically bad Eastern Conference," Griffin admitted to BIGPLAY Cleveland. "All through those years, we really knew the target is the Western Conference teams. There was nobody in the East that was really going to be in the way.”
Even if there's truth to that statement, James is a pride man with a big ego. That's not what he wants to hear, especially now that the possibility of a homecoming for the final chapter of his career is actually realistic.
James has been tied to a return to Cleveland almost from the very second he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Watching him wear the purple and gold jersey never seemed right, and a homecoming would be a fitting end to his career.
That's why everybody in Cleveland needs to watch their words right now. No one loves a pat in the back more than LeBron, and now that he's embraced on a journey to stack more stats and accolades while he still can, all he's going to care about is his legacy and nothing else.
Again, David Griffin is no longer an employee of the Cavaliers, so his comments may not move the needle one way or the other. That said, this team would have a legitimate shot to compete for an NBA Championship with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and LeBron.
They're not in a position to jeopardize that possibility by any means. If anything, they will have to bend over backwards to let James be sure that Cavs Nation, and everybody in Cleveland, will embrace him back with open arms.