Here's something fun to consider: Does Bill Simmons fancy himself as the LeBron James of Boston? According to a source, the Grantland honcho, who has lived in Los Angeles since 2002, was telling friends over dinner last night that he's "toying" with the idea of moving back to his hometown.

Here's the full scene:

so a coworker of mine was sitting next to simmons' table at a restaurant last night and he was loudly holding court w/bros on how "i'm toying with the idea of moving back to boston" and how "i could own that city if i was there!" something something about not having the same power in l.a.

So, would Simmons actually ship back east? It's an interesting question.

On the one hand, the prospect of leaving Los Angeles for the clogged toilet that is Boston seems openly unappealing even if you were born in and still love that toilet. Simmons, for as much as he will always be connected with Boston, has roots in L.A. now, where both of his kids have grown up. He has Kings and Clippers season tickets, and his analysis is often pocked by observations gleaned from taking his kids to those games. (His daughter, especially, loves the Kings.)

L.A. also offers Hollywood. Simmons is the mastermind behind ESPN's acclaimed 30 for 30 documentary series and was called in as a last minute producer on Million Dollar Arm, the Disney film from last year that starred Jon Hamm as a baseball agent. (He could not save it.) Simmons generally seems to enjoy being in the entertainment industry's orbit.

There's also the matter of Grantland, which is based in ESPN's downtown L.A. offices and takes up most of his time now. Simmons certainly could run his website on a remote basis, but that's a tricky proposition for anyone, especially with a three time zone difference.

All that said, Simmons' contract with ESPN expires this fall, and if he doesn't return his options would be much more open. He still writes frequently about Boston sports, and seems to see himself as a sort of outside ombudsman of the city's sports media.

He's also still riding high from the Patriots' Super Bowl win, which birthed the above photo of Simmons hanging out with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and some schmo from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Simmons loves the concept of "Mount Rushmore," in which a city or industry or sport is defined by its four best and most famous faces. Maybe, in the midst of celebrating with Boston royalty, he saw his own face on the mountain.

UPDATE (7:40 p.m.) Simmons has renounced the East Coast: