LeBron James‘ decision to sign with the Lakers ended his second tour of duty with Cavaliers and altered the basketball world. After appearing in four straight NBA Finals with Cleveland, James is heading to the Western Conference for the first time in his career.
Aside from an appearance at Summer League, donning a $495 pair of Lakers shorts, James had not addressed his four-year pact with Los Angeles. As James prepares to open a new public school called “I Promise,” in his native Akron, Ohio, James discussed his choice to join the Lakers via his Uninterrupted platform on Sunday.
“You look at the Lakers,” James said. “Being able to play for a historic franchise with so much history, and now being able to partner with Magic Johnson, someone I kinda like looked up to when I was younger and wanted to make no-look passes like Magic, wanted to get on the break and be Showtime like Magic and then for it to all come to fruition at this point.”
James, 33, joins the Lakers after a season in which he played in all 82 regular season games for the first time and averaged 27.5 PPG, 9.1 APG and 8.6 RPG. The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player cited timing as a major part of his decision and that his goal is to bring a championship to Los Angeles.
“I think timing is everything. For me to be in this position now, the excitement that I have to be a Laker, I’m happy to be a part of it because I believe the Lakers is a historical franchise, we all know that, but it’s a championship franchise and that’s what we’re trying to get back to,” he said. “I’m happy to be a part of the culture and be a part of us getting back to that point.”
Does he know that Magic isn’t playing anymore?
Magic & Larry those were the days, I remember the excitement I felt every year watching those finals. Larry was the best player I have ever seen in my life, probably Magic the 2nd, LBJ must be the 3rd & MJ the 4th. I hope LBJ can win a ring with the Lakers, or 2 would be even better, so they would become the most successful franchise in the league.
There is soooo much wrong with that list I don’t even know where to begin.
Opinions are exactly just that, clearly not a Celtics fan though wanting LA to win a few more rings and take over Boston in most championships so just let him think what he wants and stop trolling?
I like Steph Curry’s family. His dad Dell is real quiet. His wife is outspoken. I remember a confrontation after a Rocket’s-Warriors playoff game. Dell carried their daughter. Trash talking Houston Corey from Houston was yelling smack at the Curry’s. Steph’s wife Ayisha went to confront the bum. He shoved her in the belly. She’s 8 month’s pregnant. It went viral. Some people don’t know when to stop with the trash talk.
Yeah but LeBron isn’t even a top 10 player.
Also man when the Lakers come calling you cannot say no, playing for them & living in LA, is just too much to say not to.
LA really isn’t that nice of a place to live. It’s overhyped by Hollywood celebrities.
I agree it’s hard to say no to the Lakers but the actual city is mediocre.
Thats why no one lives in the city. Beverley Hills and Calabses is crawling with NBA players.
They showed LeBron’s mansion the night free agency began, and he arrived from the Antillas. Good luck getting his picture at home.
See Paul George
Ya that was a smart move? He’ll never win a championship in OKC but I’d bet LA will win one before LeBron retires.
Let’s not kid ourselves. The Lakers won’t be beating the Warriors or Rockets. LeBron did this for Hollywood and the money. LeBron craves drama and publicity.
I rate M.J. the best player I’ve seen in my life. Bill Russell 2nd, Kareem 3rd, Wilt 4th. Oscar 5th. Magic 6th, LeBron 7th, Kobe 8th, Bird 9th, Isaih 10th, Steph Curry 11th.
I rated LeBron lower because I think the 9 straight finals are misleading. If he’d played in the west, it never would have happened. He played weak competition in the east.
Definitely agree. He’s doesn’t crack my top 10.
Completely agree. I love when people try to say that LeBron is better than Michael Jordan. Jordan being the greatest player ever.
LeBron doesn’t even crack my top 10 greatest of All-Time, so how can he be compared to the greatest player ever? It’s a joke.
LeBron is the best player who is playing RIGHT NOW, but all time? Forget it. Anyone who understands basketball history will echo the same sentiment.
These people that compare him to Jordan seem to think the NBA was created in 1990.
No more rings for LeBron
IDK….Wilt came to the Lakers when he was 32. LBJ now 33. Some similarities. And Wilt DID help the Lakers win the Championship in 1972. COULD LBJ do the same? Maybe. I think he has ONE MORE ring in him. Obviously having Kawhi would help their chances next year. This year it’ll be 1st or 2nd round and done. I think they make the playoffs but from there….don’t know. But winning one ring in L.A. sure I could see.
Agree…Wilt did make significant contributions but he did have help. Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Happy Hairston, Keith Erickson, Leroy ellis, Jim Mcmillan, Pat Riley & a guy named Elgin Baylor. Wilt had reinforcements, somehow Lance, Javale, Beez & Ragin Rondo + Lonzo do not compare equally. I am not yet convinced that Kawhi wants to Play with Lebron in LA but we shall see. Hard to rate anything about Kawhi at this point. He may feel like PG and not want to play second fiddle in Lebrons Band. One ring may be possible if they can get some real talent to play with lebron. At this point I think it is a longshot for Lebron to get a ring, he is getting older and that is going to take it’s toll more each season. Just think in 5 years Lakers starting lineup could be Lebron, son Bronny, Lonzo, Lamelo & LiGelo, sounds like a Ball. Magic man has a plan
Those airheads are LeBron’s fault. He likes playing with guys who’ll let him do his thing. Durant, Steph, and Thompson aren’t leaving Golden State. Harden, Capela, and CP3 won’t leave Houston. LeBron can concentrate on his production company and doing talk shows and movies. Don’t forget Magic wasn’t exactly a great coach. LeBron’s son is the 14th rated recruit in his class, but he’s 14. Anything can happen. With all LeBron’s business’s, I don’t see him playing until he’s 40.
Elgin played 9 games the session Wilt helped the Lakers win a title.
So “I wanna be Magic Johnson when I grow up” is what did it?
So where was this huge Lakers dream the last 5 times he was a free agent? Did he used to think Magic Johnson played in Miami?
I rated LeBron lower because I think the 9 straight finals are misleading. If he’d played in the west, it never would have happened. He played weak competition in the east.
I disagree bc no one knows what team he would’ve played on if he’d have played in the west. Maybe James wins 9 straight finals. Instead of 3.
I’m going on facts, not speculation. Unless LeBron goes to Warriors or Spurs, he doesn’t make Finals. I’m a Pacer fan. The Pacer team Lebron faced with Miami in consecutive eastern conference finals was terrible.
Everyone is suspecting all these 1yr commitments to actually accomplish something???? Like come on these are just filler moves! Why haven’t they stretched Deng yet? They are setting up for year 3 of LBJ. Off the books with Deng. The young core has had a ton of time to develop by then. They will look to add a superstar next year for sure. However if they crap out in Lennord, it’s still all good.
My thoughts on not stretching Deng is because if this is a ”figure it out” season then pay Deng his 18+ & next year you only have to stretch 18 mill for 3 years at 6 mill yr. Stretching Deng this year would be 5 year stretch for around 7.8 mill a year for 5 years. I am 99% sure you can only stretch one contract at a time so 5 years is a long time. My last rant is why didnt Laker managemnt play deng in a losing season to see if he could play and attract a trade partner. Something big must have happened to force him out of the locker room like that.
You can waive and stretch unlimited amount of contracts.
One obvious reason Lakers didn’t play Ding is because they wanted to develop Kuzma and Ingram. Although I agree if that is the main goal, Deng should at least appear in 10+ minutes for 60+ games.
If you really research (not saying you don’t) Kuzma, Ball, Ingram, Hart contract are all up pretty much ending of ‘20-‘21 season. That puts it all on par for year 3. By year three Deng falls off of they don’t stretch inabling them to sign a 3rd superstar or mid-level superstar year 3 into LBJ. I think the Lakers are banking this young core to develop strongly around LBJ to take the load off in the coming years. Young new “showtime” with LBJ at the helm like Magic pretty much. LBJ can develop passing lanes that no one gives him credit for. LBJ can ride the coattails of the young studs the lakers have. They aren’t going anywhere. Kuzma, Ball, Ingram, Hart are the heart of the organization. No way they move. These kids will grow up together similar to OKC with KD, Harden, and Westbrook. The difference is a mentor in LBJ. Imagine if OKC had a true leader like LBJ in his older years? Forget about it.
LeBron doesn’t like playing with young guys. That’s why he recruited the airheads, just like he got the high basketball IQ buddies of his in Cleveland (J.R., Tristan, Rose, Wade, Green). He hates young guys. Ask Clarkson and Hood. I remember Tyron Lue kept saying he needed to change their plays because everybody knew them. No joke! LeBron is NOT a mentor to the younger players.
Tristan was already in Cleveland before James got there. And Kyrie was considered young 4 years ago. Also James and Cedi has a good working relationship. Imho it was lue.
You are a Cavs fan. Those who aren’t LeBron fans see that LeBron doesn’t like playing with young players. He didn’t in Miami either. Dan Gilbert is the one who dumped LeBron’s old buddies last season. LeBron brought in the old timers off the bat in L.A.
Yahoo has an article now about Kyrie. Says Kyrie had recruited Gordon Hayward, Trevor Ariza, and Channing Frye before LeBron decided to come back. This is why Kyrie wanted out from under LeBron. True LeBron brought in Love. But he also brought in Mike Miller and James Jones. And traded Andrew Wiggins and future draft picks. You won’t budge on this one. Me either.
LBJ is gonna be old, by then.
Thanks, Evidently it changed when they changed the old amnesty rule.
And by year 3, LeBron won’t be anywhere near as effective as he used to be.
I think someone needs to tell Magic that LeBron is almost 34, not 24. 34 is young for life, but older for pro sports.
It’s not like he’s going to get more better and more athletic as the next few year roll on.
The decline comes sneaky, quietly, and rapidly.
How come we don’t get 50 different versions of why other athletes decided to sign where they signed? LeBron is great but the over saturation of his life/basketball decisions has turned dull and become annoying
Every day we see reports, at least from this sight, of other players and why. DeRozan much?
Now he’s gotta get through GSW and Houston just to *get* to the finals.
Just GSW. Houston won’t be an problem
Lonzo,Hart,Ingram, and Kuzma are going to be stars and playing with Lebron will only make the Lakers even better. I don’t understand how people say they can’t compete with the Warriors and Rockets, they have the best player in the game in Lebron and several guards who can make Curry and Thompson have off nights in Caldwell-Pope,Rondo, and even Ball who is far from a bad defender. That’s not to mention Ingram who will be able to keep up with Durant in the open floor and he proved he can hold his own against Durant this past season.
The Lakers can win the West, I’ve seen Caldwell-Pope completely shut down Curry and Thompson the year they won 73 games in Detroit. If you can contain Curry you’ve got a chance to beat them simple as that. I don’t understand how people can be so close minded, it’s basketball.
Dionis, you’re back!
Yea man I missed hoopsrumors
Hang in there!!
Kinda exactly what I said…. but yeah spot on
Curry and Thompson went off on the Cavs in game 2 of the Finals. They completely disappeared game 3. Durant went off and got the Finals MVP because of it.
Playing together for a couple years helps too.
Don’t forget LeBron recruits his team every summer and the trade deadline. Rondo, Stephenson, McGhee, and Beasley will be gone by the trade deadline. My way to early free agency prediction. Kawhi is now the best player in the east. He’ll stay there, and he’ll get another star.
Will interesting and one of the top stories of the year as to whether or not Kawhi can get back to that level of play. He may suck and be another Deng.
Kawhi could fail, but he has the talent to be MVP. If he’s in the right frame of mind, he could have a really big year. That’s why I think he”ll “consider” staying in the east. Like they told Gordon Hayward, if you come to the east, you’ll be an all star.
How’s all the historical history? So historical.
Remember. The light bulb is always brightest right before it burns out. I doubt all those laker players suddenly become all stars. Fine looking bunch of kids and that’s what we know.
Boston > Los Angeles
Time will tell how long he remains a Laker. No championship, no ring, no allegiance regardless of the franchise. Has nothing to do with the culture or the storied history.. It’s all about the money, PERIOD!