Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Mike Longabardi says he’s hopeful but not sure of LeBron James’ plans for next season

CLEVELAND assistant coach Mike Longabardi says he’s hopeful but admits he has no idea whether superstar LeBron James will return to the Cavs next season.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts against the Golden State Warriors.

CLEVELAND assistant coach Mike Longabardi is hopeful but admits he has no idea whether superstar LeBron James will return to the Cavs next season.

As Longabardi prepares to fly to Australia for a series of coaching clinics in Adelaide and Brisbane, he said he did not know of James’ intentions on whether or not to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

“I don’t know, he’s going to weigh his options and that’s his right because he’s a potential free agent and I think he’s going to look at everything and do what’s best for him,” Longabardi told The Advertiser.

“Obviously we want him back and that’s a top priority, and we’re hoping he will come back to win a championship and that’s what we’re focusing on and will do everything we can to make sure that happens.”

Longabardi said fans knew all about the three-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP on the court but they didn’t get to see his unrelenting preparation behind the scenes.

“He’s relentless in his approach and how he takes care of himself,” Longabardi said.

“I”ve been in the league 15 years and there’s no player I’ve ever been around that puts the amount of time into their body to be durable, play 82 games, plus the extra 22 games in the post-season.

“It’s a day in, day out approach and his slogan is ‘striving for greatness’ and that’s what he does. The therapy, the stretching, weight-training, on the court, massages, treatment, it’s around the clock, it doesn’t stop.

“That’s why he will go down as one of the greatest to ever play.”

But he doesn’t have an opinion on the debate over where he ranks compared with Michael Jordan.

“I wasn’t in the league when MJ played and it’s a totally different game now, it was more physical back then, but he could very easily do what he does now back then.

“With his physical abilities, his intelligence and his skill, he could play in any generation so that’s where it’s always going to be a debate.”

James after the Cavs lost the NBA finals to Golden State. Picture: JASON MILLER

This will be Longabardi’s second trip to Australia after he came out in 2001 as a college coach to play against the Sydney Kings.

He will conduct coaching clinics and speaking engagements at Prince Alfred College on June 28, The Arkaba Hotel on June 29, Sturt Basketball Club on June 30 and Southern Tigers Basketball Club on July 1.

Longabardi said the NBA view of Australian basketball was of hard-working and talented players who had a lot to offer.

“I was fortunate to coach Delly (Matthew Dellavedova) in my first year in Cleveland, and I think he’s the epitome of Australian basketball,” Longabardi said.

“If you ask anyone about the Australian type they’ll say they’re hard, ready, highly intelligent basketball players that are going to leave every possible ounce of energy on the floor. They’re gritty, they’re hardcore and they’re going to give you everything they’ve got.

“Delly was a pleasure to coach and it’s unfortunate this past year he was hampered by injuries especially late in the year.”

He had high praise for Joe Ingles who took his game to a new level with Utah Jazz this season.

“Joe Ingles in my opinion - every team in the league could use a Joe Ingles,” he said.

“Certain guys only fit with certain teams but when I watch him, he’s like a complete player, he dribbles, passes, shoots, has high IQ, and defensively he’s very versatile.

“He may not have the quickest foot speed but he has great anticipation, just knows where to be which is a huge key to being successful in the NBA. Every team needs a Joe Ingles.”

Longabardi was with Cleveland during its 2016 championship season and for the recent finals series loss to Golden State.

“They’re (Golden State) a great team and there will be arguments forever if they’re one of the greatest of all time,” he said.

“They have two MVPs on their team and two other perennial all-stars and their other guys are great at their jobs.

“Their chemistry and on top of that, they play both sides of the ball.

“There’s no question our guys were disappointed, we had a very challenging season with our turnover, we basically had three different teams for a whole season and could have lost in the first round of the play-offs.

“Round two we got our groove, round three was more challenging then we faced Golden State in the finals.

“I think their talent was a bit better than ours and looking back there are some things we could have done differently.

“A big slogan in our league is ‘it’s a make/miss league’, they made them (shots) and we didn’t.”

Anyone wanting to register for the coaching clinics or speaking events with Longabardi can visit www.coachliamflynn.com.au.