LeBron James left the All Star Game of the NBA with a trophy and a big smile: his team defeated Stephen Curry's team with a great comeback. But the true desire of 'King James' is to celebrate at the end of the season, with the championship ring.
The final stretch of the NBA begins this Thursday and LeBron James accelerates but once again finds himself in a chasing position, while the Cleveland Cavaliers try to catch up with Toronto and Boston in the Eastern Conference.
"We just acquired four new players before the break, and we have a lot of work ahead", said LeBron James. "So, really, I don't like to get ahead of myself. But obviously this is about winning championships. That's what the league is about and hopefully at the end of the road, I have the Cavaliers with the opportunity to compete for one, representing the East in the NBA Finals."
The Golden State Warriors are also in an unusual chasing position, after the fiery Houston Rockets surpassed them with a 10-game winning streak before the NBA All Star Game break. But no one counts out the Warriors, not with their star-studded team that has won two of the last three championships.
Cleveland is the unknown, even with LeBron James. The Cavaliers added new pieces around him this month, and there's not much time left to build the necessary chemistry for a championship.
The Cavaliers entered the break with four consecutive victories, but they remain in third place in the conference and have not reduced the distance with the Raptors, who have won seven games in a row to surpass the Celtics. Toronto leads the league with a 24-4 record at home and could make it difficult for the Cavaliers to reach the Finals if they have to go to Canada.