Wild Speculation: What Is LeBron James' Secret Motivation?

What's LeBron’s secret motivation? Everyone's speculating. Is he retiring? Does he want to bring championships to two different teams? Is he salty about losing out MVPs to Derrick Rose and Steph Curry? Only he knows, and as he showed us last summer, his camp is good at keeping things under wraps. The NBA universe would implode into a black hole if the game's best player were to retire...or would it? It happened before with MJ—why not again? Don't answer that. Our wild speculation shouldn't be restricted to stupid rational thoughts.

We have no clue what his secret motivation is, we just know that he's playing like a man on a mission from a divine power. Through the first three games of this year's Finals, James is averaging 41 points, 12 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and a block. What the hell is his problem? What's motivating him? God? The Devil? We picked nine possible motivations and ran with them because, hey, speculators gon' speculate.

Likelihood: 30 percent

Definitely a stretch but not out of the realm of possibility. It has been done before by his idol. LeBron signed a two-year deal with an opt-out clause at the end of this year when he agreed to come back to Cleveland. Many speculated that the length of the deal had to do with the new TV deal that's sure to increase the salary cap for the 2017 season. Some have said that the short contract puts the pressure on the Cleveland brass to build a championship team around him. So far the Cavaliers are holding up their end of the bargain. He's been in the league for 12 seasons and has had an enormous amount of media scrutiny and pressure since he was a Senior in high school. I won't be surprised if he brings a title to Cleveland and then calls it quits, or at least takes a season off. —Angel Diaz

Likelihood: 5 percent

MJ didn't do that. This is why the arguments about LeBron not being able to play in the '80s and '90s are hilarious. He's a giant human being that's built like a tank. He was very good in high school, and the TE position in the NFL has evolved into one that's being filled by former college basketball players. If he brings a chip to the Cavs and the Browns, LeBron will really be the Jim Thorpe of this shit. The muthafuckin' GOAT. —Angel Diaz

Likelihood: 20 percent

Did you see the sorrow hidden deep in Dwyane Wade's eyes as he was forced to interview his former teammate and South Beach club buddy after the game? It was almost as sad as a David Blatt timeout speech. Wade knows he'll never win another title while stuck on a middling team, at least not on one that doesn't include LeBron James. Remember: Bron said not long ago that he only has three friends in the NBA: Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul. And since Chris Paul A) is a dick, B) hasn't won anything, and C) plays in the West, and because Carmelo Anthony is Carmelo Anthony, it makes sense that Bron would wanna team up with his Miami bro again. AND it would piss off Pat Riley? Win/win.

Who knows? Wade might've promised King James that if he wins a title this year that he'll join him in Cleveland the next. He wants to get paid, sure, but playing championship-caliber ball next to Bron has to equal a lot more sponsorship cheese than going .500 next to Luol Deng in a pair of Chinese basketball sneakers. —Maurice Peebles

Likelihood: 90 percent

Kevin Love has the option to opt out of his $16 million contract this summer. His first season in Cleveland has been a disaster, but one would be safe to assume the Cavs would be the favorites if he comes back, especially if they pull off the upset of all upsets this year. So if the Cavs win, Love comes back, and if they lose, he'll leave. Sounds like it could happen. LeBron was the one that pushed to bring Love to Cleveland in the first place. If the Cavs beat the Warriors and Love still leaves, he'll officially be the biggest bitch in NBA history. —Angel Diaz

Likelihood: 50 percent

LeBron mentioned in his TV interview with Dwyane Wade that he wasn't happy being third in the MVP voting this year (behind Steph Curry & James Harden), so it's entirely possible that this “secret motivation” is mostly just a media-created tornado and that Bron just wants to show the world who the real MVP is. Steph's out here getting worked and pouting while LBJ is an alpha dog screaming at the sky and cocking invisible pistols.

We know who the best player in the world is. There's a pretty good chance LeBron James just wants to prove it. —Maurice Peebles

Likelihood: 40 percent

This would probably be the most likely scenario since it's obvious Bron didn't take kindly to Riles' words following his departure from Miami. "No more smiling faces with hidden agendas." Really, Pat? That's what you say to the guy who brought you four straight East titles and two rings? Well how about LeBron makes you his super secret enemy, then destroys any notion that he needed you, or anyone in the Heat organization, or any other humans on the basketball court to succeed. You mad, Riley? Kiss the rings.

Only thing keeping this under 50% is how LeBron said he'd open up about his secret motivation if he won the title. Yeah, he's probably not going to bash Pat Riley on the podium while holding the Larry O'Brien.—Maurice Peebles

Likelihood: 10 percent

Fuck Dan Gilbert. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, wouldn't this motivation be cool? I mean he did treat LeBron like a runaway slave in that comical Comic Sans letter. To be a fly on the wall when LeBron and The Man Who Owns Detroit worked on that deal to bring him back. Dan was probably on his knees pleading that he'll make James majority owner if he comes back and wins a title in a Cavalier uniform. —Angel Diaz

Likelihood: 99 percent

A tale of two cities. For LeBron James going from Miami back to Cleveland again, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. How many bonafide Hall of Fame Top-Whatever NBA superstars have brought a championship trophy to multiple area codes? Kareem, Wilt, and Shaq all did it...but not Jordan. Not Magic. Not almost anybody else on King James' level. You say he didn't win six like MJ or even five like Kobe, and LeBron would be able to show you two different parade routes and multiple constituencies who worship his every move. And bringing Cleveland it's first title in a billion years with a crew of flunkies that aren't better than the Knicks without him? Not even His Airness can say that. —Maurice Peebles

Likelihood: 2 percent

How hot are music streaming services right now? It's like you can't consider yourself a "business, man" if you don't have people paying monthly fees to hear music they could probably download for free. Jay Z's TIDAL may not be doing so great, but who's to say LeBron James couldn't resurrect Jigga's fledgling service from the dead with a few well-placed tweets and appearances? Spotify and Apple Music will be hard to beat, but King James doesn't run from challenges. Unless, you know, the challenge gets too tough and he doesn't wanna hang around TIDAL anymore. Then he'd probably team up with either Spotify or Apple Music. —Maurice Peebles