LeBron James would not commit to re-signing with the Miami Heat next year, which opens mass speculation that he could test the free-agent market after the upcoming season.
When asked if he had made up his mind on that issue, James told espn.com: “I have absolutely no idea. I would love to spend the rest of my career in Miami with this great team and great organization as we continue to compete for championships. That’s ideal.
“But we don’t know what may happen from now to the end of the season. That’s the nature of the business. It’s the nature of not knowing what tomorrow brings.”
James, from Akron, Ohio, showed he had the courage to do what he deemed best for his career when in 2010 he bolted his home state team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, for the Heat.
“I mean, as a kid, I never thought the (Chicago) Bulls would break up,” James said. “Never. If you’d of told me as a kid that [Michael] Jordan and [Scottie] Pippen wouldn’t play together for the rest of their lives, I’d have looked at you crazy. And Phil Jackson wouldn’t be the coach? I’d have looked at you crazy. But sometimes the nature of the business doesn’t allow things to happen like you would want them to. But we’ll see.”
James said his preference is to play out the season with full concentration.
“I owe it to myself, I owe it my teammates and I owe it to the Miami Heat to stay focused,” he said. “As a leader, I’m not even going to let that side of the business get me unfocused on what I’m trying to do and that’s trying to win another championship.
“I’m going to try to [stop the discussion about free agency], but you always have reporters who are going to always bring it up. They’re going to change the question and make it sound like something else. But it will get to a point, if I continue to hear it, where I will say, ‘Hey guys, I’ve answered the question and out of respect, let’s talk about this after the season.”‘
Miami president Pat Riley, who lured James to the Heat, said to ESPN.com: “Our stance is the same we had with Wade in 2010, that we’re just going to play the season and not let that hang over our heads and become a distraction just because the media wants to get an answer on it every day. I don’t know LeBron’s stance. He’ll probably say one time, ‘I’ll talk about it next year.’ We haven’t discussed it yet, but we will. I’ll tell him the main thing is to make sure the main thing remains the main thing. And the main thing is to win the championship.”
