LeBron calls report of him potentially bolting from Cavs 'outlandish'

LeBron James poured some cold water on this week's hottest rumors.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' forward denied that his much-buzzed about Christmas Day conversation - where he talked about reuniting with former Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade - had anything to do with basketball.

Further, James said he has zero intention of leaving his hometown Cavaliers, vehemently dismissing a recent report that he would consider bolting, according to Joe Vardon the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"I'm here to build, build something great in the present and the future, and that's the reason I'm back," James said. 

"I've got no other reason to have to continue to talk about things that's so outlandish. So, I'm here, this is where I'll be, and this is where I'm comfortable."

Where there's smoke, there's usually fire, and with James being able to opt out of his contract after the season, it's no surprise his future in Cleveland has suddenly emerged as a burgeoning topic. He's the league's biggest superstar, after all, and has departed Cleveland before.

But the rumors never made much sense to begin with, and James' contract was structured in such a way that it would allow him to maximize his earnings through increased revenues as a result of the NBA's mega TV deal.

James just returned to Cleveland after a four-year stint with the Heat that saw him capture two titles and make four NBA Finals appearances. While the Cavaliers didn't steamroll through the first third of their season, they're still one of the Eastern Conference's top teams as they take an 18-14 record into the New Year.

It's clear returning home was important to the Akron, Ohio native, and his image - which he appears to have fully repaired since announcing his decision to leave Cleveland on live television in 2010 - would suffer another massive hit if he were to exit again. 

The Cavaliers have legitimate issues - a weak interior presence, Kevin Love's struggles, and defense chief among them - but they have the fourth-best offensive rating in the NBA, and any team featuring James is in good hands. 

It would be shocking if James wasn't willing to see this through for not only the season, but a number of years. 

"The inconsistency I kind of knew, I figured it would happen, and that's why I try to stay patient and I try to not have my body language be as bad as it can be sometimes," James said. "Just try to keep my communication up, and my spirits high and understand that once we get fully healthy ... we keep going through the process and we'll be fine."

James' numbers are more human than normal, but he's still filling up the stat sheet. The 30-year-old, who is the All-Star Game's leading vote getter, is averaging 25.2 points, 7.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 37.5 minutes and his 25.05 player efficiency rating ranks seventh in the NBA.