LeBron James is the most powerful man in the NBA.
According to a story from radio host Dan Patrick, James allegedly tried to test how far that power reached when he returned to Cleveland.
Slam Magazine provided a transcription of Patrick's tale:
“I heard a story last night, and it’s been published before, but I got to hear it from somebody who knows firsthand about this.
LeBron did not want to play for Dan Gilbert the second time around. He wanted to go back to Cleveland. He didn’t want to play for Dan Gilbert.
So what I was told to me last night is: LeBron was willing to go back to Cleveland, but he wanted the Cavaliers’ ownership to buy the Pistons, and the Pistons’ ownership would take over the Cavaliers.
You were going to have Tom Izzo coaching. Izzo, friends with the guys who own the Pistons. They were then going to take over the Cavaliers. Dan Gilbert, who’s a Michigan guy, would get to then own the Pistons.
And LeBron would then be able to play in Cleveland for the ownership of the Pistons as opposed to Dan [Gilbert].”