Although logic would suggest that LeBron James is going to comeback fired up to prove doubters wrong about the decline in his career after he missed the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons, it’s not exactly an uncommon theory that LeBron’s hunger to win a championship may not be the same as it was before.
And the latest to speculate on this topic was LeBron’s former general manager with the Cleveland Cavaliers, David Griffin. Griffin, who recently became the head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans prior to trading Anthony Davis to L.A., became probably the most high-profile member of the NBA to go on the record about whether LeBorn cares about winning as much as he used to. After beating the 73-9 Warriors in the 2016 Finals, Griffin hypothesized that winning isn’t the priority it once was for LeBron, according to Sports Illustrated’s Jake Fischer.
The following season, however, brought that fantasy summer crashing back to reality. James’ contagious hunger to deliver a championship for Northeast Ohio dissipated. “There wasn’t a lot else for him,” Griffin says. “I don’t think he’s the same animal anymore about winning.” Many in the NBA now suggest James harbors two priorities: enduring to team with his eldest son, Bronny, and one day owning a franchise.
None of this should be a shock to you. Although you could have made basketball arguments for LeBron coming to the Lakers, the actions he and his various business partners made to lay down roots in the Los Angeles-area telegraphed the next phase of his career.
Griffin is far from the only person who has voiced the notion that winning championships is not as high on the priority list for LeBron as it once was. But while business and family endeavors may have hopped over professional goals on LeBron’s priority list, he’s always talked about ‘keeping the main thing the main thing.’ In less than two months, we get to see just how serious that mantra is.
