LeBron James made an appearance in Cleveland on Monday to take in a Cavaliers playoff game against the Celtics. The showing made immediate headlines, with some in the national media believing there to be an ulterior motive behind his presence in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Just a few short hours later, rumors surrounding star player Donovan Mitchell began to surface insinuating a potential partnership with the Lakers. Was LeBron on a recruiting trip?!
James showed up with the Kardashians to cheer on his hometown team in Game 4 of the seven-game set. Hoping to will the Cavs to a win, the NBA superstar watched along as the two squads battled in a back-and-forth slugfest.
So apparently LeBron James is expected to attend tonight’s Cavs-Celtics game, along with the Kardashians. Enjoy the game.
— Jason Lloyd (@ByJasonLloyd)
Unfortunately, Boston would leave victorious after a dominant second half. The Celtics never trailed in the fourth quarter of play, going on to win 109-102 and taking a 3-1 series lead in the process.
James snuck out of the arena a little before the contest was officially decided to the cheers of fans begging him to return to Ohio.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst immediately speculated that James was “up to something” in Cleveland, suggesting that he’d gone there for more than just the game.
“I will say this, the first thing I thought of was this moment 10 years ago where LeBron showed up to a game in Cleveland while he was a player for the Miami Heat to honor Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ Jersey retirement, his longtime teammate. And he got in a private plane, flew from Chicago over to Cleveland on an off night. Pat Riley was not happy. And a few months later he signed with the Cavs…he’s extremely strategic and I wish I could tell you I knew exactly what he is doing. I don’t pretend to know, but he’s gotta be up to something.”
-Brian Windhorst, ESPN
While he didn’t have any inside knowledge of the situation, Windhorst insinuated that a return to the Cavaliers was on the table.
New reports, however, seem to hint at a more devious reason for being in attendance.
Was LeBron James recruiting Donovan Mitchell to LA?
Rumors have begun to surface claiming the Lakers will be after the Cleveland star this offseason. With the Cavs one step closer to playoff elimination, that recruitment could begin in the very near future.
Or maybe it already has!
Mitchell has an extension on the table to remain in Cleveland. James’s presence might be the nudge that keeps him from inking the deal.
“It’s complicated, but then so are the Cavs right now,” wrote Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. “They have their star to worry about in Mitchell, who has one season of team control left beyond this year. If Mitchell doesn’t sign an extension with Cleveland this summer, the Cavs will have to explore trade options — and one of the teams standing at the front of the line will be the Lakers.”
The Lakers would have a lethal ‘Big 3’ of Mitchell, LeBron James and Anthony Davis if their front office figured out a way to acquire Mitchell from the Cavaliers.
A move to Los Angeles probably wouldn’t be welcomed by Cavs fans, especially if LeBron has any influence on Mitchell’s decision!
Cleveland will look to keep its season alive in Game 5 against Boston. If things do come to an end, the clock will start on each side’s recruitment of the superstar.
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