Right before LeBron James said he would "Take my talents to South Beach" and join the Miami Heat as a free agent in 2010, the New York Knicks openly pursued the world's best player.
James, now 41, certainly isn't at the same level he was 16 years ago. But he's the second-best contributor on a contending Los Angeles Lakers squad that includes one of basketball's premier players, Luka Doncic.
The four-time MVP will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and The Athletic's Ian O'Connor believes he should seriously consider signing with the Knicks. We already know James enjoys playing at Madison Square Garden.
“I hope I have a little small snippet of somebody that came through here and was able to make a little small dent from a visitor’s perspective," James told reporters about playing at MSG on Sunday following the Lakers' 112-100 loss to the Knicks.
James would retire as basketball's GOAT if he wins championship with Knicks
O'Connor believes James should consider finishing his career with the Knicks for one simple reason: to win a championship in New York and end the Knicks' 52, possibly 53-year drought.
"James should really start thinking about New York as the best way to do that. The Knicks are run by his former agent, team president Leon Rose, and his former adviser, executive VP William Wesley, and they are coached by his former Cavaliers coach, Mike Brown," O'Connor wrote Monday.
"These men know what makes LeBron tick, and hey, the Garden isn’t going anywhere."
If LeBron wins a title with the Knicks, it would be his fifth championship for a fourth different franchise. O'Connor puts it simply:
"LeBron James would retire as the GOAT."
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