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The third spin through free agency for LeBron James has been much quieter than his dramatic standard.
He declined his player option, is taking a "wait and see" approach, and reportedly won't discuss a deal until agency-mate Tristan Thompson is financially taken care of, but there's little chance he's changing homes. For all intents and purposes, James is still with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He's also still without a title as a Cavalier through eight seasons, winning two in four years with the Miami Heat between Ohio stops. His Herculean NBA Finals performance came up just short against the Golden State Warriors, and while it was no fault of his own, he's now 30 years old, with two rings to his name and four finals losses.
There should be little argument that James is the best player in the world, the best player of this generation, and one of a small handful of best players of all time. But within that small handful of names, it's possible a perceived lack of championship success could sway some debaters.
That's not something James is worried about, secure in the fact that his resume will be unimpeachable. As he told Matt Lauer last week when asked if he's begun to think about his legacy:
No, I really haven't. I think legacy will speak for itself. Who I am as a man and what I do off the floor defines my legacy more than what I do on the court. That's just how I've always thought about it but I don't really get caught up into it too much.
James is correct that his legacy will extend beyond basketball, as he's been a terrific citizen to Akron, Cleveland, charitable foundations, and more. He'll have earned enough money to continue to make an impact beyond retirement. And he's even dabbling in movies now - the interview was to promote "Trainwreck", a film due out July 17 that features James in a prominent role.
Of course, his on-court legacy will be resounding, too. He's made 11 All-Star teams, won four MVPs, two titles, two NBA Finals MVPs, two All-Star Game MVPs, nine All-NBA First Teams, five NBA All-Defensive First Teams, won a Rookie of the Year, led the league in scoring, won two Olympic gold medals, and ranks 20th in all-time league scoring. His career-long assault on the record book will continue, and there's a good chance his Cavaliers are in the mix for the city's first major sports championship since 1964 this coming season.
That's a lot of speaking for itself.
- With h/t to Eye on Basketball
