LeBron James left Cleveland for the second time in 2018. He's been back with the Los Angeles Lakers eight times, and he's gotten a standing ovation and a tribute video every single time he's gone back to Rocket Arena.
This time, however, felt different. James couldn't hold back tears as he watched himself on the Jumbotron. He knows he's inching closer to the end of his career, and he won't take any game for granted at this point. That being said, this may not be his last time on that court.
According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, James doesn't want to call it quits just yet. And, if he decides to run it back for another season, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see him take his talents back to Ohio.
LeBron James could sign with the Cavaliers in the offseason
"I think LeBron in his mind, he is finishing this season in LA.," Charania said. "There is people in LeBron circle that do believe he is going to go one more year. If he does there is definitely chatter of where that could be. Could that be in Cleveland?"
It's hard to believe that someone like LeBron would just walk away from the game without a farewell tour. He's the type of guy who enjoys patting himself on the back, and, to be fair, he's earned that right.
The Lakers seem more than willing and ready to move on from him. He didn't sign a contract extension, and they should be more than set for years to come with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves running the show.
The Cavs are a bit strapped, money-wise, but that shouldn't be an issue for James. He's a billionaire, and he can make it work if he truly wants to go back home.
If anything, taking a massive paycut will only work wonders for his already impressive legacy. That is probably something he cares about more than cash at this point in his career.
Of course, banking all hope on LeBron to lead the team back to the mountaintop as he did in 2016 wouldn't be realistic. It wouldn't even be fair to put that type of burden on his shoulders, and Cavs fans should be aware that he would probably be there for the run and the memories, not much more.
That being said, if someone has earned the right to get one final goodbye in Cleveland, that's LeBron.