James is blazing a trail only one superstar has walked
History sets the precedent for the future and as we remain stuck in our ways, fans expect the next star to replicate what those have done before him.
James bolting Cleveland in 2010 wasn’t as big a spectacle as many attempted to make it out to be, but it was rare seeing an in-his prime, MVP-caliber player “chase rings”. But you know what we’ve rarely ever seen? An MVP in his prime bolt on the team he recently won rings with. Only Wilt Chamberlain comes to mind as he left the San Francisco Warriors for the Philadelphia 76ers, won a ring in ’67, only to bolt to the Los Angeles Lakers where he won a ring in ’72. And like James, Wilt was in his 10th year when he decided LA was the destination for him. Outside of Wilt, no one fits this profile.
This will be apart of James’ legacy. He didn’t sit with one team his entire career and wait for a break (Jerry West, Hakeem Olajuwon). He didn’t have any Hall of Fame talent to piggyback on upon entering the NBA (Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant). There was no All-Time head coach and eventual Hall of Famer to fall into his lap a few years into his career (Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan). When it came time to reevaluate himself and his career trajectory during the summer of 2010, James put his best interest on the forefront, surrounding himself with a cast that led to becoming a 2-time NBA champion.
Now he’s in the same position and if history tells us anything, the precedent has been set: LeBron James should make the same move he made four seasons ago.