Get ready everyone. The circus is about to begin.
While those of us here in Cleveland are set for another exciting run of playoff basketball featuring LeBron James and the Cavs, the narrative that the four-time MVP is leaving after the season is starting to percolate.
Back in August, veteran NBA writer Chris Sheridan raised eyebrows by floating this tweet out there:
Look, I respect Sheridan. He's been around the league for a long time. I've had him as a guest on my radio shows in the past. He also deserves credit for putting it out there before anyone else that LeBron was coming back to Cleveland in 2014.
However, I didn't think much of this report at the time.
On Thursday, Sheridan reporting from his new beat at NJ.com, doubled down on his August tweet with a story suggesting James will depart the Cavs when his contract expires this summer primarily because of political differences between he and team owner Dan Gilbert.
Quoting Sheridan: The No. 1 reason why this is going to happen is because Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is a huge Trump supporter; LeBron is not.
Really? You're serious, Chris?
Here's more: This divide between James and Gilbert is political, cultural and economical. If you have ever engaged in a political argument in this day and age of extreme polarization, you probably have an idea of how combustive opinions can become. It is no different in the sports world.
Look, I get it. LeBron is not a supporter of President Donald Trump. He and Kevin Durant said as much during an UNINTERRUPTED feature in January.
"The climate is hot. The No. 1 job in America, the appointed person is someone who doesn't understand the people. And really don't give a f--- about the people," James said at the time.
Gilbert's company Quicken Loans donated $750,000 to the president's inauguration fund. We saw Gilbert poke his head in the door at the White House while President Trump was honoring the Chicago Cubs.
When James referred to President Trump as a 'bum' in a tweet last fall, Gilbert told CNBC that he received 'vile, disgusting, racist' voicemails targeting his star player.
So there are politics that are intersecting in this relationship. I refuse to believe they are the number one reason why LeBron would opt to leave the Cavaliers again.
If you told me LeBron is going to leave because he wants to play somewhere with Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade, I would buy it.
If you told me that LeBron is going to leave because he wanted the Cavs to trade the Brooklyn Nets draft pick for a star player and Gilbert nixed the deal, I would buy that, too.
If you told me that LeBron is going to leave because he and Gilbert disagreed about signing players, the luxury tax, etc, I would absolutely buy that.
But I'm not buying Sheridan's report. LeBron is about winning championships and cementing his legacy as one of, if not, the greatest players in NBA history.
If that best chance is here, LeBron will stay, regardless of how much money his owner might give to the president.
Jimmy and I talk about this issue, plus the preparations for Opening Day at Progressive Field on Friday as the Cleveland Indians get set to meet the Kansas City Royals.
Watch the Donovan Live Postgame Show in the player above