For any competitor, the hardest part is to get over a loss and coming short of an intended goal.
Cleveland Cavalier star LeBron James is no exception to that. James is still apparently feeling the hurt from the recently concluded NBA Finals which saw the Golden State Warriors win the NBA title in six games.
It was James’ first post on social media since April, airing his disappointment though vowing to come back next year and try to fulfil his promise of handing his hometown a much coveted NBA title.
It hurt to lose. I’ve been in a funk lately, but this… this is what motivates me to do what I do. How can I ever be down...
Posted by LeBron James on Tuesday, June 23, 2015
James practically carried the team on his shoulders with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love out on account of injury. He did try to inspire the rest of the team but unfortunately the efforts of J.R. Smith, Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Delladedova were not enough to fend off the Warrior’s onslaught.
At present, the Cavs find themselves back on the drawing board as they try to move on from the setback and plan for another run next year.
James, who can opt out of his contract, may likely be coming back for another run next season and all eyes are on who will be back and who will go.
The team picked up the option on Timofey Mozgov meaning that the Russian big man will be back on the Cavs roster in the 2015-16 NBA season. Mozgov churned in a couple of big performances in the NBA finals and has been a key figure for the club since he came onboard.
Other players are expected to be dangled qualifying offers as well. This includes Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert and Matthew Delladedova.
Love Out?
Like James, Kevin Love had that option to opt out of his contract with the Cavs and so he did. However, the question is on what Love’s plans are. Is he opting out to get more money or to look for another team?
Leaving the Cavaliers could be a surprise especially after Love made it known during the NBA Finals that he plans to stay in Cleveland. He has been criticized for his play by the fans and by James no less.
As far as other teams are concerned, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are two teams in hot pursuit of the All-Star forward so it will be interesting to see where he would wind up.
For the record, James said that he would not recruit Love back, emphasizing that Love knows he can be part of something special if he so chooses.
The two are not exactly the best of friends, so it will be interesting to see where Love would end up. Fans could be in for a long wait for his decision, something he did last season before landing in Cleveland.