Amid a report that suggested the Cleveland Cavaliers locker room was toxic during the 2013-14 season, LeBron James would not have returned to the Cavs franchise without a general manager change.
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That’s the word from Fox Sports‘ Sam Amico who says the ousting of former GM Chris Grant was a must for James to return to his hometown team.
"My biggest problem was the culture… Grant built a LOSING mindset in the locker room. LeBron wouldn’t have come back if he was still GM, that much I can promise. Griffin went in said, basically, “You know what. We’re not losers. We’re not losing on purpose.” Kyre, Dion, etc.. hated playing for Mike Brown, and Brown was Grant’s guy."
Grant, who worked for the Atlanta Hawks before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise in 2005 did not draft LeBron though was atop the franchise for James’ glory years with the Cavs as assistant general manager. He later was named GM in 2011. Was he part of the reason King James decided to bolt for the Miami Heat and South Beach in 2010? That’s something we may never know, though it seems incredibly clear that LeBron James was not interested in returning to his former organization if Chris Grant was still there.
Of course, LeBron James didn’t have to worry about such considering the Cavaliers fired Grant just before the NBA’s trade deadline this past February. Was that done knowing James didn’t want to play under that regime? You’d probably assume that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was somewhat aware, though Grant’s sub-par performance was plenty enough reason to fire him.