LeBron James, as everyone knows, is the de-facto general manager (and, at times, head coach) in Cleveland.
Mo Williams, who inked a two-year deal to return to the Cavs this summer, confirms that LeBron must give his OK before the team signs a free agent.
Williams had a meltdown on social media after James bolted for South Beach in 2010, but the two have since patched things up.
Per NEOMG:
A blessing from James goes a long way in getting management to increase their intensity level in signing that particular free agent. […] “Yeah, you have to call. This is his team,” Mo Williams, who played two seasons with James in Cleveland from 2008-10, said. “That’s no secret. The conversation was made and the feeling was mutual. It was a good conversation.”
Williams notably shared his disapproval on social media on the way James left Cleveland in 2010 to form the Big 3 in Miami. On the day of “The Decision,” a frustrated and disappointed Williams tweeted, “The only thing, and I mean the only thing I disagree with is. … If he knew somewhere else was the destination, he should have spared Cle.” [….] Williams took it hard. He had become an All-Star as James’ teammate. But devastated by the departure, he contemplated retirement at 27. Their friendship took a hit. They went their separate ways.
So how did these two end up sharing the same locker room once again? Williams said James is a forgiving human being. A few years back, Williams reached out to settle their differences. It didn’t take long for the conversation to transition to their old time playful banter. […] “It wasn’t any animosity during the talk,” Williams said. “I thought when we conversed about the opportunity of me coming back, he was excited, I was excited and we got it done. It was basically simple as that.”