LeBron James is squashing the rumors. Sort of.
The Cavaliers superstar has created quite the stir over the past few days, with one report emerging that James “won’t hesitate” to leave Cleveland again if things don’t improve. One day later, a video blew up that appeared to show the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player telling Dwyane Wade after their Christmas Day game that they’re going to “reunite.”
But Cleveland fans can breathe a big sigh of relief after a weird and stressful week. James, who can opt out of his contract at the end of this season and become a free agent, shot down the rumors that he’s planning to bolt for the second time, saying all of the speculation is “outlandish.”
“I’m here to build, build something great in the present and the future, and that’s the reason I’m back,” James said before Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, per Cleveland.com.
“I’ve got no other reason to have to continue to talk about things that’s so outlandish. So, I’m here, this is where I’ll be, and this is where I’m comfortable,” he said.
James also addressed the video of him talking to Wade, insisting that whatever he told his former teammate wasn’t basketball-related.
“I’ve seen the clip just like you’ve seen the clip. I don’t know exactly what I said at the beginning, either,” James said. “I know I said, ‘We’ll get back together and do some bigger and better things,’ but it had nothing to do about basketball.
“I mean, if was going to tell him that, I’d tell him the night before,” James said. “Come on, guys. I’m not stupid. I know I didn’t go to college but I’m not stupid. I wouldn’t say that on Christmas with a hundred cameras around. I would have told him the night before at his house.”
Thumbnail photo via Ron Schwane/USA TODAY Sports Images
