LeBron James

Report: Cavs GM admits LeBron is the most powerful person in the organization

Published Nov. 4, 2015 1:50 p.m. ET

foxsports

LeBron James' return to Cleveland after four seasons with the Miami Heat may not have been solely due to on-court reasons.

It's true that an aging Heat team had just gotten crushed in five games by the Spurs in the NBA Finals, and that the organization was unable to make significant upgrades to the roster in the early days of free agency. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, had a younger star in Kyrie Irving already in place, and the assets to trade for another one in Kevin Love which would stack the roster for years to come.

But there was apparently additional appeal in returning to Cleveland aside from the coming home narrative that would permanently rehabilitate LeBron's image. The fact that James would wield significant power within the organization was also a big draw. And according to Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher, Cavaliers GM David Griffin admits that LeBron essentially has as much influence as he wants:

Griffin fully concedes that James is the most powerful person in the organization aside from owner Dan Gilbert. "He's going to have the biggest voice, he's the most important, accomplished player in the league and he's an absolute basketball savant," Griffin says. "He has the most thorough understanding of X's and O's on the floor and best mind for the game off the floor of any human being I've ever known. Coach, front-office person, anything. It would be crazy for me not to consult with him on what we want to do."

That wasn't going to happen in Miami, where Pat Riley had assembled a championship team with the Heat long before James arrived, and had won many others during his days as head coach of the Lakers.

There's nothing wrong with Griffin admitting as much.

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LeBron James

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