Former Cavs GM Offers Insight on LeBron's Eastern Dominance

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In a recent interview, former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin weighed in on the LeBron James Cavaliers era compared to the current team. Griffin asserted that the Cavs teams led by LeBron during his first stint in Cleveland benefited from playing in a "historically bad" Eastern Conference, making it easier for them to reach the NBA Finals. He contrasted this with the current Cavaliers squad, which he says is facing a much more competitive Eastern Conference as they try to return to the playoffs.

Why it matters

LeBron's Cavaliers teams from 2003-2018 were a dominant force in the Eastern Conference, reaching the NBA Finals 8 times in that span. Griffin's comments provide an interesting perspective on just how much the relative weakness of the East during that era contributed to LeBron's sustained success and Finals appearances with the Cavs.

The details

Griffin stated that "one of the things we benefited from was we were in a historically bad Eastern Conference. All through those years, we really knew the target was the Western Conference team. There was nobody in the East who was going to be in the way." He contrasted this with the current Cavaliers team, led by Donovan Mitchell, which he says "is trying to do is what they're doing in an Eastern Conference that is significantly more competitive than what we had."

• LeBron James spent 11 seasons with the Cavaliers from 2003 to 2018.
• The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals 8 times during LeBron's first stint with the team.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Analysts will continue to speculate on whether LeBron James could make a dramatic return to the Cavaliers to finish his career, potentially in a "retirement tour" as suggested by ESPN's Tim MacMahon.