‘No one’ in LeBron James’ inner circle pushed him to go back to Cleveland says Maverick Carter
By Mike Dyce
During all the NBA free agency frenzy there were reports that Miami Heat forward LeBron James’ inner circle was pushing him to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. James’ business partner, Maverick Carter, has come out and said that isn’t the case.
“This was a decision that LeBron made in his heart,” Carter told ESPN.com’s Jason Whitlock on the Real Talk podcast. “We didn’t push him to do it. We don’t push him to do anything. If he asks our opinion or what did we think about the pros and the cons, we help him think through it. We don’t push him.
“Listen,” Carter added, “LeBron’s a 29-year-old man with lots of money, got a wife, two kids, one on the way. He makes his own decisions. He doesn’t need anyone pushing him any way, and a guy like that, you’re not going to push him either way. We’ll help him think through things and help him see through things, but he makes his own decision in his heart. Because, ultimately, he has to live with it. I’m not the one who has to show up and play games for any team.”
It certainly seems like it’d be hard to influence LeBron James one way or another. Obviously the motivation for James returning to Cleveland doesn’t need any further explanation or pushing from his inner circle.