Four Years Wiser, LeBron Chooses Home

When LeBron James decided to leave Cleveland four years ago, it was the best basketball decision he could make. The Cavaliers were a strong regular season team but had failed repeatedly in the post-season. The roster was barren and the future seemed uncertain. His decision to leave for Miami to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh was vindicated as the Heat won two championships and made four consecutive Finals appearances.

As you probably know, LeBron announced his return to the Cavaliers today in a piece he wrote as told to Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins. LeBron has been asked the question many times the last several years, whether he would ever consider going back to Cleveland. He's always been diplomatic and never slammed the idea shut. But actually walking through that door was a completely different matter. In Miami, his career soared to new heights. He won championships and vaulted himself into the discussion of historical greats. But there was always another part of his legacy that mattered to him.

Before the start of the NBA Finals last month against the Spurs, LeBron said any talk of his legacy was kind of stupid. He added, "For me a legacy isn't just basketball. I think people get caught up in what you do on the floor, what you do on the gridiron, what you do on the diamond and so on and so on, and just try to define your legacy just by how you play the sport. I think my calling is much bigger than just basketball, to say what my legacy is on the floor and to say that's all it is stupid."

It's the same calling he referred to in his article today, "I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I'm from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there's no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get."

LeBron in Cleveland was always about more than just a basketball story. As if it wasn't enough that the best player in the league was placed in a city without a championship-winning team (in any sport) since the Browns won the NFL title in 1964, the person who could guide them out of their misery was someone who called Akron, Ohio home. It was almost too perfect, which made the split between the player and the city even more heartbreaking.

More than just choosing Cleveland and returning home, LeBron has also managed to wrest complete control of the narrative for the rest of his career away from anyone else who chooses to evaluate him by their terms.

As he made clear today, "My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what's most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio."

He will turn 30 in December, and assuming relatively good health and a desire to finish his career in Cleveland, this becomes a long-term commitment. LeBron recognizes as much, saying that the Cavaliers are not ready to win a title just yet (even if Vegas bookmakers disagree).

For LeBron, it's an opportunity to create another new chapter in Cleveland. After the city finishes celebrating (they may never finish celebrating), the attention will shift to the games, and a Cavaliers roster that currently boasts Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins as a potential championship core for the future. Perhaps they acquire Kevin Love, or find another superstar to play with LeBron and accelerate the process. There's still work to be done, but having LeBron James on your roster is the best first step a rebuilding franchise can take.

He is a once in a generation player. That he is part of your roster means you don't preclude his team from the championship discussion. As a much less complete player with a paper-thin roster, he took Cleveland to the Finals in 2007. He returns a different man, a two-time champion, the best player in the world ready to carve out his own legacy, on his terms.

When you're the best player in the world, and you feel you've accomplished almost everything, what do you do? Michael Jordan won three championships, had a sojourn in minor league baseball, and then returned to basketball to dominate again. LeBron's been to the top, and while people who like to count the rings like to slight his accomplishments, in his own mind, there's really only one thing left to accomplish.

For LeBron, it's not that legacies are stupid; it's just how people have chosen to define him. Four years ago, his basketball story made its new home in Miami. Four years later, he's taking it back home. And with it, a chance to do the one thing that he's decided matters to him: bring the championship back home.