Say what you will about LeBron James, but whenever he whines, or wanders, it is usually in the overwhelming interests of winning.

When he peeled off his Cleveland Cavaliers jersey in 2010 and took his talents to South Beach, he had no qualms about attaching himself to a franchise and a fan base already deeply in love with another leading man, Dwyane Wade.

When James completed his Miami mission after two N.B.A. titles and four straight finals appearances, he returned to Cleveland as a King, singularly focused on re-establishing another championship court.

He pardoned Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers’ owner, for an unhinged letter to the public after James’s departure to Miami, but that was only part of it. With those two rings won with the Heat compared with the Cleveland franchise’s grand total of none, James also appointed himself de facto personnel director of the Cavaliers and organization visionary, on court and off.