The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t just attractive to LeBron James because of the talent of Kyrie Irving or the prospect of returning home. They were attractive because James saw them being able to make a series of maneuvers to build a championship team around him.
James, who returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, promptly wrote a letter that curiously left out names of players who were currently on the team. The code James used was cryptic but not encrypted enough for the NBA to not get the gist of what he was saying. James had just returned to Cleveland but was already conducting his rounds and assessing the Cavs’ roster before he signed with the team.