The LeBron James to the Knicks rumor has existed since the first time The King hit free agency. The Knicks are one of the game's biggest markets, and James is the biggest star; it is not hard to understand why the rumor has existed for most of his career. Now, insider Marc Stein has explained why the rumor will never die: because of how much he loves Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden is one of the most iconic arenas in any sport. James has admitted in the past that the Knicks have been a team he has looked at during the various times he has hit free agency over his career. He has also taken to social media to call MSG his favorite playground.
It is that fondness that makes it impossible for Stein to ever rule out the possibility, however unlikely it seems. Writing in his newsletter The Stein Line, Stein said, "I believe that James' well-chronicled fondness for playing at Madison Square Garden makes it unwise to say he'll never be a Knick."
It is unclear if the Knicks would be as interested
In years past, the Knicks, along with every other team in the league, would have gutted their roster for a chance to land James. That said, he is entering a season in which he will be turning 41 years of age. As much as it seems like he will be able to play forever, Father Time comes for everyone.
The Knicks are on the doorstep of competing for a championship. It is hard to believe they would trade a player, let alone multiple, to land James at this stage of his career. If he were to be bought out by the Lakers, perhaps things would change, although that also feels unlikely.
James is still a star on the court
Even with all of the miles on his legs, James is still competing at an extraordinarily high level when he is on the floor. Last year, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team after putting up 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists over 70 games.
He is still efficient from the floor, where he shot 51.3 percent, while shooting 37.6 percent from deep. His defense isn't what it once was, but he is far from a liability on that end of the floor. He is also still among the game's best passers and has one of the highest IQs in the league.
Time will tell if this rumor ever evolves into anything more than a rumor. But, as Stein noted, it is hard to ever put it to rest, considering how publicly James has expressed his love for Madison Square Garden throughout his career.