With LeBron James again suffering a defeat to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, many are expecting him to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers via free agency for a second time.
James presumably will opt out of the final year remaining on his contract this summer and become an unrestricted free agent. The Los Angeles Lakers have long been rumored to be a major suitor for him, as are the Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers.
One question many have had is what team would be the best fit for LeBron and Lakers legend Kobe Bryant had an interesting answer. In an interview with Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times, Bryant explained why he believes the Cavaliers are the ideal fit for James, while acknowledging that he could fit anywhere:
“Yeah, Cleveland. LeBron could go anywhere and play. If he wants to stay, that’s a great fit for him. Players can adapt. There was a lot of talk about if Durant going to Golden State was a good fit and now that seems silly to say that. Chris Paul going to Houston was ‘is it a great fit?’ and now it seems silly to say that. He’ll make a home wherever he decides to end up.”
With the success that James has had in both Miami and Cleveland it’s hard to argue with Kobe’s assessment.
Players of James’ caliber are usually able to dominate regardless of scenario. And that should continue next season, independent of which team he elects to sign with.
Bryant made some excellent examples of people questioning fit and how dumb it looked in hindsight. James will have plenty of options to weigh when deciding on where to go in free agency, but maybe fit shouldn’t be one of the main ones.
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