Although the Cleveland Cavaliers have enjoyed a massive amount of success since LeBron James returned home, appearing in three-straight NBA Finals and winning it all in 2016, their offseason has been full of drama.
General manager David Griffin is gone. Kyrie Irving asked the team for a trade. The rumor that LeBron is going to leave Cleveland for a second time next summer has also been a major storyline. Due to LeBron’s connections, Los Angeles has been thought of as the logical destination for him, as both the Clippers and Lakers could be viable options.
When asked on the “View From The Cheap Seats” podcast, Clippers power forward Blake Griffin said he loves the idea of possibly teaming up with James, but simply doesn’t see it happening.
“Honestly, I don’t see him coming to L.A., period. Listen, again, I have no idea. I think something is brewing with him and his group of guys. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but something’s brewing. And I think they’re going to try to make that work,” the outspoken Griffin explained.
He continued, “I could see him going to New York before L.A. … I still think, when you go to the Garden, it’s a completely different feeling. The energy — there seems like there’s just a continual buzz the entire game.”
It’s important to note that the Clippers star explicitly stated that he didn’t speak to LeBron about his future plans, but it’s interesting to hear one of the NBA’s biggest names weigh in on King James’ next possible destination.
Griffin likely pointed to the Knicks because of James’ longstanding love for Madison Square Garden. In 2015, LeBron even said he was jealous of Carmelo Anthony he gets to play his home games at MSG. He told Marc Berman of the New York Post, “If I could have 82 regular-season games in the Garden, I would because it’s the Mecca of basketball.’’
Anthony responded, “I mean, nobody would say they don’t want to play in New York. How could you not want to play in this city and in this building?’’
LeBron scored 50 points at Madison Square Garden in a 2008 regular-season game and topped it with a 52-point performance in 2009. In 25 career games at the Garden, he has averaged 28.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game and has scored 25-plus points in 17 different contests.
It remains to be seen how the situation in Cleveland will play out. Since LeBron’s road to the NBA Finals will presumably be significantly easier in the Eastern Conference due to the presence of the Golden State Warriors, the Knicks could be a logical choice if recruiting the rest of his “banana boat” buddies is a goal of his.