LeBron James Has Returned to Cleveland Cavaliers a Changed Man

By Casey Drottar @cdrottar19 on October 3, 2014

This past week is the first time we’ve seen LeBron James as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers since 2010. Sure, he announced his return back in July, but, other than a welcome home party in Akron, he had been keeping a pretty low profile. However, his first public appearance as an official member of the Cavaliers took place last Friday at the team’s media day.

Since then, Cleveland has gone through its first round of practices together, and also hosted an intra-squad scrimmage last Wednesday. And, as all these activities took place, there’s one thing a lot of people have noticed about James.

Quite frankly, something’s different.

Amidst the circus-like atmosphere at last week’s media day – featuring 300 media members – many were pointing out how serious James appeared to be in his introductory press conference. In fact, some even said he came off “grumpy.” While everyone in Cleveland is giddy about the upcoming season, James’ media sessions after practice are all sounding the same way; devoid of tone, even when he’s discussing something he’s excited about.

It’s been a bit of an attention-grabber, as it doesn’t appear the city’s jubilance has rubbed off on him just yet. This doesn’t seem to be the jovial James people in Cleveland remember seeing during his first tenure with the team. He never came off this businesslike.

James has only been back with the Cavs for a week, but it’s very obvious he’s returned a changed man. However, this is hardly bad news for Cleveland fans. In fact, it’s the best thing they could ask for.

I don’t think James is “grumpy,” as some may have wondered, and I do take him for his word when he talks about how excited he is to be back even though he might not sound that way. He’s not giving monotone interviews because he’s in a bad mood. Instead, it’s because, despite the hype, this Cavaliers team hasn’t accomplished a thing yet, and he’s well aware of this fact.

Remember the last time he took to a press conference soaking in the crowd’s enthusiasm and milking it for all it was worth? I believe he said something along the lines of “not one, not two, not three…”

Make no mistake, he learned a lesson from getting incredibly cocky during his first season with the Miami Heat. He joined a team everyone automatically pegged as NBA champion before the preseason even started. And, because he had yet to learn how difficult it was to actually win it all, it sure looked like he bought into the hype, too. When the Dallas Mavericks stunned the Heat in the 2011 finals, how many people mocked James for his antics from that introductory extravaganza?

Through his first year in Miami, James learned the important lesson that championships aren’t won just by assembling a great team over the summer. It’ll help the cause, but there’s still a ton of work to be done. Four years later, it sure looks like this lesson is still resonating, and he brought it back with him to Cleveland.

Sure, James said similar things in the letter he penned announcing his return, talking about how the Cavaliers weren’t ready to contend just yet, how this season would test his patience. He ended it all by saying, “In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given, everything is earned.”

We all know, though, there’s a difference between saying something and actually proving it through actions. However, just one week in to his official return, it sure looks like he meant every word.

These Cavaliers, with James back in the fold, with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, with the blockbuster acquisition of Kevin Love, may come into this season with more hype than the 2010-11 Heat. At the same time, they’ve yet to earn any of said hype on the court. James is well aware, and he’s going to make sure everyone in the locker room knows it, too. All season long.

This new, seasoned James is just what these Cavaliers need. Remember, beyond James, Mike Miller, James Jones and Shawn Marion, the playoff experience on this roster is thin. Some of the best players haven’t even seen the postseason yet. So, you’d be hard-pressed to blame Irving, Love or Dion Waiters for thinking, “Wow, our team is great, this’ll be a cakewalk.” The James Cleveland saw a few years ago might’ve bought in, too.

Not this one, though. This isn’t the same James who was here before. There likely won’t be any pregame mock-photo shoots with his teammates. You probably won’t see a ton of goofing around on the court. He surely isn’t going to start talking about how far the Cavaliers can go in the playoffs before they even get there. Numerous national pundits and fans alike have labeled Cleveland as a title contender, but you have yet to hear anything like this uttered from James. And, if you’re waiting for him to say such a thing anytime soon, don’t hold your breath.

As exciting as media day was last week, as thrilling as it was for fans to see this team officially assembled for the first time, James knows the Cavaliers left all of it the same way they came in; with an 0-0 record and still no championships won. No confetti flies from the rafters after a great photo shoot, no parade routes are planned after a successful press conference.

James may have surprised people by putting on a serious face while the city around him is rejoicing at the mere sight of this team in uniform, but know he’s doing so because his goal of winning a championship in Cleveland is a real one, and he hasn’t come close to achieving it yet.

Because of this, he will keep himself and his teammates in check all year. Nobody on the roster will be talking about titles before they’re won. The team may look great on paper, but they’ll certainly let everyone know such a thing means zilch right now. James will likely be hammering home such a message to his teammates on a daily basis.

For the Cavaliers, this change in James’ persona, from the fun-loving kid to the battle-tested vet, is great news. For the rest of the NBA, well, maybe not so much.

Casey Drottar is a Columnist for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @CDrottar19 or “Like” him on Facebook