LeBron James does not want NBA teams to court him with elaborate pitches, according to new ESPN reports.
The basketball world is awaiting James’ decision, whether he will opt out of the last year in his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers to become a free agent or remain with the team. While a number of rumors have been surfacing about where James will end up next season, sources have reportedly told ESPN that he is not looking for extravagant pitches from teams looking to recruit him.
“James might meet or speak with a club official or owner at some point, but the elaborate presentations that have become common in NBA free agency over the years are unnecessary after 15 seasons in the league,” ESPN is reporting. “Should James become a free agent, league sources believe he and his agents Rich Paul and Mark Termini have enough understanding of the stakes and NBA landscape to handle the process without much fanfare.”
The 33-year-old forward has already experienced what it is like to be courted in an elaborate way during his free agency in 2010. Back then, James received presentations from numerous teams who flew representatives to impress the basketball star.
Aside from over the top recruiting, the NBA star announced his decision to play with the Miami Heat in a similar way. He aired a televised special which ran for over an hour called The Decision to announce that he was “taking my talents to South Beach.”
However, James handled things a bit differently after winning two championships with the Heat. When he became a free agent in 2014, James decided to leave the Heat and return to the Cavs.
His announcement came in the form of a Sports Illustrated article. Four years later, James has until Friday to decide where his next move will be.
In an ESPN report published earlier this month, James said that his latest decision will be made by taking his family into consideration. While James’ previous two free agency decisions were made when he was a bit younger, now the NBA veteran made mention of the fact that his teenager and preteen boys will be impacted differently.
Since his last decision, he and wife Savannah James also had a daughter in 2014 which has to also be taken into consideration. With that in mind, James has been tight-lipped about where he and his family will spend the 2018-2019 NBA season.
