5 Greatest NBA Free Agency signings since 2010

r#2 LeBron James returns to Cleveland (2014)

LeBron James with the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2016

After a 4-year run to the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat, paired with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, LeBron James opted out of his contract with the Heat and returned to Cleveland as the prodigal son. On July 11th, 2014, he announced via an article in Sports Illustrated his intent to return to Cleveland.

The next day he was indeed a Cavalier for the second time in his career. This time, the great LeBron James had already successfully reached the pinnacle of NBA basketball twice with Miami and was bringing that experience along with the greatest talent of his generation back to Cleveland.

He kept his personal success of being the man to beat in the NBA Finals, as like with Miami, he kept Cleveland in the NBA Finals as the East’s representative from 2015 to 2018 for 4 consecutive years. However, his Cavaliers would run into the Golden State Warriors each year winning once in spectacular fashion in 2016 when he led the team from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals to an NBA title which had never been done before.

“The King” is 3 for 8 in his 8 consecutive NBA Finals appearances which ended after the 2018 Finals when he would as a free agent move to the Los Angeles Lakers who did not make the playoffs in 2019. The 2020 playoffs may see a return of the King now that Anthony Davis has joined him in Los Angeles via trade this summer.