You typically don't use a parade day to announce an exit.
So I suppose some will say that LeBron James couldn't say anything else -- other than that he planned to return to the Cavaliers for at least another season, after likely opting out of his contract again.
Still, the swiftness and frequency with which he stated it -- telling reporters Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, Jeff Zilgitt of USA Today and Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com -- certainly suggests that he's made up his mind.
Here's what he told ESPN.com:
"I love it here in Cleveland. I have no intentions of leaving. There are some technicalities to take care of I'll leave up to my agent. That's right from the horse's mouth."
So what does this mean?
It means that the #HeGone crew should dismount their horses.
Regardless of what Stephen A. Smith heard from anonymous sources based in Miami, it was always highly unlikely that James would return to the Heat this offseason. The relationship between him and Pat Riley still seems somewhat frosty, with James insinuating that someone in the Heat camp (someone who sure sounded like Riley) had told him that he was making a mistake by leaving in 2014, and thus became James' "secret motivation" to win in Cleveland. And I can tell you from my reporting that the upper levels of Heat management still aren't enamored with the way James handled the end in Miami -- not just the free agent period, but the entire previous season, when he made his displeasure with Heat rules more known.
But now, it's even less likely to happen, and that's fine. James is still the best player in the world, proving that against Stephen Curry and Golden State. And he would be worth the $30 million he can command for next season's salary, even if it cost the Heat other players, notably Hassan Whiteside. But Miami needs to turn the page.
And so do Heat fans.
So, #BeGone with #HeGone.
It was a fun fantasy, but little more. It's now up to Riley to create an equally appealing reality.
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