Twistity Sports Exclusive: MEMORIES OF LEBRON

 
Four years ago on this Tuesday, LeBron James made “The Decision.” He would take his talents to South Beach and the Miami Heat, forsaking Cleveland.

Along with “The Decision” came “The Promise” of championships. And he meant “not one, not two,” and you get the idea. Four appearances in the NBA Finals followed, two resulting in titles. And now “The Decision: Part Deux” looms. The championship count could well be over.

Free-agent signings in the NBA can begin Thursday and the Heat, runners-up in the title chase last season to the San Antonio Spurs, may be rebuilding whether they planned to or not. James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Big Three, all opted out of their contracts to become free agents and ostensibly give the Heat more room under the salary cap to add complementary players. But freedom is not just another word. It’s a real concept.

The Heat will announce the signings of Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger on Thursday morning. McRoberts would certainly help the team’s poor rebounding. That will give the Heat four players under contract. However, the return of the Big Three seems more cloudy each day.

James seems somewhat taken by the idea of returning to the Cavaliers (he grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Akron).

Bosh, who had suggested he would take less money to stay in Miami, has been offered more to join the Houston Rockets and appears interested. Wade, with his chronic knee problems, may have the fewest options but offers the Heat the least return. His knees won’t get better but he will get older.

James is supposed to meet with Heat boss Pat Riley later in the week. He is said to want a maximum contract from the Heat but maybe what he wants is healing. His exit from Cleveland provoked sorrow and anger, as much for what it meant for the team and the area as for its garish nature on an ESPN program.

This process likely won’t linger long. There’s too much pressure once the signing period begins. If Bosh leaves, he can be replaced by a smaller 3-point shooter (and it seems silly to have a 6-11 guy hanging around the perimeter). If James leaves, well, then the best player on the planet has left and it’s the end of times in Miami.

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy proclaimed: “There’s no place like home.” James knows that as well. The question is, which is home? Is it the adopted city of Miami or the place of his birth?
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .