CLEVELAND _ There were a number of reports Friday that suggested LeBron James' decision to stay with or leave the Cavaliers could very much depend on what his family wants him to do.
The face of the NBA will have his choice of where he goes with assorted experts mentioning Philadelphia _ even more intriguing now that former Cavs general manager David Griffin, who had a good relationship with James, is being mentioned as a possibility to take over the franchise _ Los Angeles (Lakers) and Houston.
But don't discount the influence of family, especially in the case of his older son, LeBron James Jr. LeBron James Jr. wasn't school-aged when his father made the fateful decision to leave the Cavs for the Miami Heat back in 2010. Now, he's almost 14 and preparing to enter high school. He's also grown into quite the basketball player, possibly giving James a reason to want to stay in this area to watch that continued evolution _ perhaps at his alma mater St. Vincent-St. Mary.
"It's been a treat to watch, being a parent and seeing my son grow as a basketball player," James said.
Some observers who have seen his son play, say that he's ahead of where his father was at that age, including shooting the ball.
"He's an unselfish player who loves to get his teammates involved," Garfield Heights basketball coach Sonny Johnson said. "He plays just like his dad and when I say he plays like his dad, he's always looking to make the right play. When I've seen him play, he's been a winner."
James said he understands what the expectations will be for his son if he continues to develop as a player. Those expectations immediately come with the name.
The spotlight's glare is the kind of thing that can harm children in his position. Imagine the constant cameras in Los Angeles for instance. Given the nature of competition in East Coast basketball circles, it could be intense there, also. The fact he has a father who's stared into that glare since before he was in high school can't hurt.
"The one thing that I have is the luxury of knowing everything that he can expect," James said. "There's nothing that can hit him that I haven't seen in my life. There is no obstacle that he will run into that I haven't been a part of that I can't coach him."
James understands the reality of the media landscape today, which is vastly different from the one he encountered in high school and even his first year in the NBA.
"At the end of the day, he's still going to have to live his own life and find his own path," he said. "But I hope he turns off his comments on social media. That would be the smartest thing he can do."
