LeBron James has been there and done that. From the second he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers 23 years ago, he established himself as one of the most impactful and greatest basketball players to ever lace them up.
Outside of Defensive Player of the Year -- which he claims he should've won -- and awards like Sixth Man of the Year (he could still win it) and Most Improved Player, James has won pretty much everything there is to win in this league. Some might even want to give him Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year distinctions while they're at it.
However, even at this point in his career, and with ring culture and all the hatred on social media, his mostly flawless legacy could still take another hit, depending on where he plays next season. That's why he may need the Cleveland Cavaliers as much as the Cavs need him.
LeBron James has to return home to play for the Cavaliers
The Lakers are moving on and pivoting to Luka Doncic -- as they should. Even so, they should be interested in keeping James around, and they won't be the only team keeping tabs on his services. That said, joining another franchise at this point to win another championship may only lead to criticism.
The Cavaliers are still in playoff contention, and there's a chance that they will turn things around and figure out how to beat the Detroit Pistons. Even if that's the case, they're not a favorite to win an NBA championship, and they could certainly benefit from having another star in the fold, even if he's an aging star playing the final games of his career.
Despite the second-round sweep, James proved that he can still lead a team, even if it's for stretches. If he's healthy, he'll give his team a steady 20-7-7 on any given night, and his efficiency hasn't dipped much, either.
The Cavaliers could use someone like him taking playmaker duties off James Harden and Donovan Mitchell during stretches, driving to the rim, and maybe even playing some small-ball four next to Evan Mobley.
This team isn't young, so it's not like having him there will hurt anyone's development. If anything, he might help a group of players who have struggled to get the monkey off their backs finally look like winners.
James deserves a movie-like ending to his career, and he's only going to have that in Cleveland. Anything else will have him looking like those pictures of Patrick Ewing in Orlando or Hakeem Olajuwon in a Raptors jersey. He'll look old and washed, even if that's not the case.
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