Relationship between LeBron James, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is reportedly rocky

Everybody is starting to question how longer LeBron James and Dan Gilbert can deal with each other

LeBron James and Dan Gilbert have never felt like they got along well. Even when the Cavaliers won a championship it felt more like the two were merely co-existing in order to achieve the same goal. A business relationship would be the most positive way to describe their interactions between the two.

However, now that the Cavs have won a championship, it's consistently felt like the two sides are growing farther apart from each other. With Cleveland losing nine of its last 15 games, that rocky relationship is starting to be put on display for the entire NBA world to see. Following the Cavs' blowout loss to the Rockets on national television, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports that the root of Cleveland's slump stems from the adversarial relationship between LeBron and the team owner.

This is all a whirlwind around LeBron James vs. the Cavs' front office, which is to say it's about James vs. owner Dan Gilbert.

James (11 points, 3-of-10 from the field) is completely dispirited. Never before in his career has he played like this. Maybe on the occasional midseason evening he has been less than energetic -- in the past, he has called it "chill mode" -- but never like this.

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Then the Cavs look back and point out James will not commit to them past this season. Point out they tried to get him another star when coming to the brink of a deal for George last summer but stopped when James declined to commit to the franchise. They point out that they have the highest payroll in the NBA and are paying a hideously painful repeater luxury tax. That the team lost $18 million last season because it spent $25 million on luxury taxes.

Gilbert has been here before. He spent wildly, got an old team and traded away a bunch of future picks in 2010 only to see James walk. 

This is just another example of how far the Cavs have fallen. Isaiah Thomas doesn't look healthy, or happy, right now. Kevin Love has been accused of faking an illness. Even Chris Paul, a friend of James, can't seem to believe what is happening in Cleveland.

"You've got LeBron James over there in that locker room. You know what I mean? What else the man need to do?" Paul said. "Don't take it for granted, man, don't take it for granted."  

It's not even the All-Star break yet, but the Cavaliers feel like they're spinning out of control and the two people that can fix it are reportedly on rocky terms. This can't end well.