Will LeBron James consider rejoining the Miami Heat?

Will LeBron James return to the Miami Heat? If it doesn’t work out in Cleveland, it might be his best chance at another ring.

So far, the NBA finals have been disappointing. The Cleveland Cavaliers are being destroyed by the Golden State Warriors in virtually every facet of the game. At this point, it’s obvious that the Warriors are simply better than the Cavaliers.

And so are the OKC Thunder. And probably the San Antonio Spurs.

When LeBron assembled the current Cavaliers roster, he thought he could recreate the Big 3 in Cleveland. Except they would be younger and more talented. Even though LeBron only promised one championship for Cleveland, he was thinking multiple. He was thinking dynasty.

Kyrie Irving was supposed to be an improvement on Dwyane Wade. Like Wade, Irving is a great one-on-one player. Unlike Wade, Irving has a consistent three-point shot. LeBron knew the 23-year-old Irving’s best basketball was still ahead of him.

Kevin Love would reprise the role of Chris Bosh. Like Bosh, Love is a stretch-4. But, Love is a better rebounder. LeBron realized Love, at 26, was just entering his prime.

LeBron brought in JR Smith as a more reliable shooter than Mario Chalmers. Iman Shumpert, while not Shane Battier, was supposed to provide tenacious defense and a three-point shot. Timofey Mozgov would provide the rim protection LeBron always wanted but never had in Miami.

But, LeBron is finding out that individual talent isn’t enough to win a championship. It’s telling that neither Love nor Irving ever led a team to the playoffs on their own.

Leading a team to the playoffs typically requires more than just individual basketball talent. The leader does whatever it takes to win. He sets the example for the team, gets other players to play their best, and, when required, puts the team on his back and wills them to victory.

Dwyane Wade exemplifies these qualities. In the Big 3 era, he let LeBron lead. This year, he played faster because his team played better fast. In the playoffs, his team needed three-point shooting, so he suddenly became a legitimate threat from three-point range. And then there was Game 6 in Charlotte: Wade put the team on his back and willed them to the win.

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At times, LeBron also exemplifies these qualities. Perhaps his greatest performance ever was during the NBA Finals last year. LeBron was truly the Finals MVP even though the Cavaliers lost. Through will alone, LeBron led an overmatched Cavaliers team to two wins against the Warriors. He had people believing Matthew Dellevadova could stop Stephen Curry and Tristan Thompson deserved $80 million.

In contrast, neither Love nor Irving seem to possess championship-level will. Now, in the biggest moment, when The Greatest shine, Kyrie is vanishing from the stage. Sure, Kyrie may score, but he isn’t a threat. He doesn’t make players around him better the way that Dwyane Wade does.

Love voluntarily took himself out of Game 2, and will probably miss at least a week while he goes through the concussion protocol. While this is obviously the correct decision from a health perspective, it’s not the decision of a champion.

In ancient mythology, the gods presented Achilles with a choice. Die young, but have the greatness of your deeds live forever. Or, die old and have your name forgotten in a generation. Achilles chose fame. Love chose old age.

Recently, Bosh was faced with Achilles’ choice. Bosh had a reoccurrence of potentially fatal blood clots. Many think he should retire because the health risk is too great. Bosh doesn’t think so. He clashed with Heat management because he wanted to play, even embarking on a media campaign to win support from the public. When faced with Achilles choice, Bosh chose to play despite the risks.

Winning championships isn’t easy in the NBA. Even when you are one of the best players of all time. Winning requires other players willing to make the same choice as Achilles. Simply put, Bosh and Wade will do whatever it takes to win. Love and Irving will not.

After a game in Miami last year, LeBron allegedly told Wade that if things didn’t improve in Cleveland, the duo would team up again.

The Cavaliers have assembled a great roster. Frankly, on paper, it’s a championship roster. It’s better than the Heat roster. Until one looks beyond the stats and starts looking at what it takes to win championships.

Hassan Whiteside plays with a chip on his shoulder, still trying to prove critics wrong. Justise Winslow is a NCAA champion, willing to play whatever role it takes to win. Guys like Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson have worked relentlessly to get where they are.

The original Big 3 are aging. Wade has maybe 2-3 All-Star years left. Bosh may not play again. LeBron is finally starting to the feel the effects of time. But, ironically, LeBron probably has a better shot of winning another title with the old heads in Miami than the youth in Cleveland.

Don’t be surprised if LeBron brings his talents back to South Beach either this summer or next.

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