Where would LeBron James be playing this coming season had the Miami Heat beaten the San Antonio Spurs and pulled off a three-peat?
Not necessarily Cleveland, The King tells CNN in an exclusive interview set to air Friday night.
In a preview segment, reporter Rachel Nichols delves into multiple topics with James, from his decision to return home to his new look and diet.
When asked whether he knew he was going to go back to Cleveland all along, James said he’d thought about it but figured it wouldn’t happen “this soon.”
“I had dreams about going back home, but I thought it would happen a lot later on in my career . . . going back and kind of having a couple more years left in my career and kinda finishing it off that way, but I didn’t think it would happen this soon.”
Nichols asks James how differently this past offseason might have played out had the Heat won a third title:
Nichols: “Do you think if you guys had not lost to San Antonio in five games in the NBA Finals, you might still be in Miami?”
James: “It’s a greater chance, for sure. It would be hard to leave back-to-back-to-back championships and try to go for four, but obviously you really can’t live and think of what may have happened.”
James also talks about repairing his relationship with Cavaliers fans, and specifically with team owner Dan Gilbert, who infamously had some not-very-nice things to say about LeBron when the star left Cleveland for Miami in the notorious televised event known as “The Decision” back in 2010.
James also covers the mindset that he’ll presumably be bringing with him back to Cleveland:
“I understand what it takes to get there, I understand what it takes to win. It’s so difficult. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”