INDEPENDENCE, OHIO– LeBron James had some choice words to describe the ESPN report that came out yesterday saying he would consider talking to the Golden State Warriors in free agency.
After practice on Friday, James referred to the report as “nonsense” and a “non-story.”
“When I woke up it was the first thing that was on my phone, I got an alert on my phone and a few people had hit me up about it and what not,” James said, describing how he first heard the report. “The first thing I did was start laughing, actually. And then I thought about it.
“It’s nonsense, and it’s a non-story. I think it’s a discredit to what I’m trying to do here. It’s a discredit to my teammates and the coaching staff here. My only focus right now is trying to figure out how we can become a championship-caliber team in these next few months. It’s been so many stories about me in the last few months, in the last few days, about where I’m going and where I’m at and what place I’m in. I’m here, I’m right here, I’m right now and this is my present, this is where I’m at. If you don’t hear something coming from my voice, then it’s not true. I don’t give a damn how close they are, I don’t care if it’s my kids, my wife or whatever. If it’s not from me, it’s not true.”
James would become a free agent this summer if he opts out of the $35.6 million option in his contract. He has never exercised a player’s option in his career, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t re-sign with Cleveland.
As for the report, it came from ESPN’s Chris Haynes yesterday. Haynes cited “league sources” saying that if the Warriors could clear enough cap space, James would be willing to meet with them out of “respect.” In order for Golden State to even clear that cap space, however, Kevin Durant would need to accept less money and the team would likely need to trade both Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala.
But despite all the ridiculous scenarios that will be thrown out over the next six months, the story for James remains this present season.
“This is coming from me,” he said. “The story needs to be LeBron is focused on getting this team back to the Finals. Because I’m telling you guys right now. Not, oh, I’m angry about the Golden State story, or I’m angry about, what, the Lakers and Philly and Houston and San Antonio and Sacramento and Orlando and Miami and Toronto. I can name all 30 teams. That’s not the story.
“The story for me personally, my focus right now, and I’m driven right now to figure out how we can put (together) the right basketball every single night to compete for a championship and get to the Finals for a fourth straight year. That’s what my focus is, that’s what the story is. When the summer comes, you guys know that’s been around me for 15 years or not 15 years, how I approach my summer, how I approach my free agency. That has not changed.”
James also said he didn’t feel the need to address the story with his teammates, but said he does not think it’s fair that they have to deal with speculation about his future.
“Not even like upset right now about it,” he said. “I think it’s just a discredit to my teammates, because I’m the leader of these guys and for them to have to hear that stuff every single day about my free agency, I apologize to them. I will handle my summer situation when my summer gets here. And I will not handle it right now.
“You guys know in my 15-year career, I’ve been a free agent twice so far or three times. And I’ve always handled it at the right, appropriate time, and that’s at the end of the season when it’s time appropriate. And I’ll never let anything on the outside get in the way of what I’m trying to accomplish.”
Head coach Tyronn Lue was also, of course, asked about the story. He laughed when the inevitable question came up.
“Somebody told me about it, I’m not going to say any names, but, yeah, I heard about it,” he said. “No comment. I don’t know what I can say [to] not get in trouble, so no comment.”
But the bottom line continues to remain the simple fact that nothing can be believed when it comes to LeBron James’ free agency unless it comes from the King himself. That is how it’s been his entire career. That’s what makes the latest rumor so outlandish.
“I never said I would sit down with Golden State or sit down with anybody,” James said. “I’ve never talked about any other team throughout my journey. The only thing that bothers me is that people get to go on talk shows and discredit what I’m doing, saying, ‘Well, if he does this then this is the worst thing that he could do. If he does this, if he’s engaging in that, then it tarnishes his legacy.’ That’s what bothers me because I have no control over that. I’m not even involved in that.
“What I can control is how I prepare myself every day with this group of guys. What I cannot control is these stories that come out. But what I will not allow is for people to kind of use my name— as we already know they do— to create something that is a non-story. The Golden State thing is a non-story.”
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