Jalen Rose: 'LeBron's best chance to win another championship is to go to Cleveland' / News - Basketnews.com

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After dramatically departing from Cleveland in 2010, LeBron James went from being one of the most beloved personalities in Ohio to becoming one of the most hated people there.

LeBron James

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However, his eventual return to the Cavaliers and the historic NBA championship victory in 2016 turned the tides back in LeBron's favor.

In 2018, James departed from Cleveland for the second time, joining the Los Angeles Lakers. However, LeBron never ruled out the opportunity for a potential return to the Cavs.

"The door's not closed on that," James told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. "I'm not saying I'm coming back and playing, I don't know. I don't know what my future holds. I don't even know when I'm free."

LeBron's comments fueled speculation about his future. And if he decides to leave LA, ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose thinks he should return to Cleveland once more.

"If LeBron really wanted to go win a championship, you know what he would do? He would go to Cleveland and play for the minimum," Rose said on the TV show Get Up. "That's what he'd actually do, not force them to give up any of their young assets."

The Cavaliers have been notorious for being a bottom-of-standings team unless LeBron was on the roster. However, the franchise has been on the rise recently, currently sitting in fourth place at the Eastern Conference with 35 wins and 23 losses.

James acknowledged that the Cavs franchise has been making all the right moves after his second departure: "I think (president of basketball operations) Koby [Altman] and those guys have done an unbelievable job drafting and making trades."

"I think big fella (Jarrett Allen), that acquisition was amazing for them to make that trade. Obviously, Darius Garland is a big-time player. And I think the role that Kevin (Love) is playing right now has kind of uplifted those young guys. I am not surprised by anything that they're doing right now."

LeBron also recently said that he wants to play his last season in the NBA with his son, Bronny James. However, Bronny would likely only join the league in the 2024-25 season. Before that happens, LeBron still has time to chase another NBA title.

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