CLEVELAND -- Upon his return to Cleveland on Wednesday, LeBron James was met with a warm welcome.
According to one of his closest friends, it may not be long until the site of James at Quicken Loans Arena is once again a familiar one.
Even since James rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers four years ago, rumors have swirled that he would one day buy the team. On the same day the 4-time MVP returned to face the team he spent 11 seasons of his career with, Maverick Carter lent some credibility to that fan fantasy, telling ESPN's Rachel Nichols he could see James one day buying the Cavs.
"I think if this team was up for sale, he'd definitely one of the people who'd look at buying it," Carter, James' friend and business partner, told Nichols. "For sure."
James has made no secret of his desire to own a sports franchise in the past.
In 2016, he revealed during an appearance on the "Open Run" podcast that his "dream" was to own an NBA team. Earlier this year, Carter said that while James could own an NBA team, he could also see his friend looking to purchase an NFL franchise.
"Ten years from now, I think -- I don't think, I know -- LeBron will be owning a basketball team," Carter told Variety. "Maybe even a football team. Because he does like football and he’s looked at football ownership, so he’ll be owning a basketball team and running it."
All of this talk, is of course, currently premature.
Not only is James still an active NBA player -- and widely considered the best in the league -- but the Cavs aren't currently for sale. Furthermore, owner Dan Gilbert -- whom James has a complicated relationship with -- has yet to give any indication that he's looking to sell the franchise that he purchased in 2005 for a reported $375 million.
Nevertheless, the idea of James one day buying his former team still makes for fun fodder. And for once, it's speculation that now has some credibility behind it.
