James committed to Cavaliers - for now

Source: Agencies  |   2008-11-20  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

LEBRON James remains focused on achieving success with the Cleveland Cavaliers, despite being well aware that other teams are cutting back on salaries in the hope of eventually signing him.

"My focus is on the team I'm on right now and on trying to win a championship," James told reporters on Tuesday before leading Cleveland (9-2) to a 106-82 rout of the New Jersey Nets, the team's eighth consecutive victory, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The victory also saw James become the youngest player to amass 11,000 National Basketball Association points, shattering Kobe Bryant's record by almost 12 months in reaching the milestone aged 23 years, 323 days.

James has already achieved one of his career goals, playing on a US Olympic gold medal-winning team at the Beijing Games in August. However, his next target is an NBA title and after next season he will be the league's most sought-after free agent.

"I don't think about making a change right now. I'm focused on the team I have here and the relationships I have here."

James, an Ohio native playing for his NBA home-state team, said winning in Cleveland would be special but that professional sport was about business and not loyalties.

"You do what's best for you and your family and what's best for your career. It's hard because it's a business," he said.

"A franchise is going to do what's best for the franchise. When the players do what's best for the player it somehow comes back on us. You almost look bad.

"But when a franchise decides to give up on a player, then it's OK. We've got to do what's best for us.

"When I decide to make that decision, basically it will be about putting me in a place where I have a chance to win multiple championships. If it's here, then I'll be here. If it's moving elsewhere I'll have to look at my options."