The Los Angeles Lakers probably felt like they won the lottery when LeBron James signed with them in 2018. They hadn’t been able to raise a title banner since Kobe Bryant led them to a championship in 2010. They had suffered through several unsatisfactory and unsatisfying seasons. However, there wasn’t a lot of clarity about why James had chosen to play for the Lakers after reaching the NBA Finals in eight straight years.
“Part of the reason James came to the Lakers as a free agent in 2018 is the standard of care they showed during the final seasons of Bryant’s career a decade ago,” reports ESPN writer Ramona Shelburne. “James liked playing for an iconic franchise as much as he liked how it treated its iconic players.”
Lakers’ LeBron James Claps Back At Erroneous Report
James refutes Shelburne’s report, saying in part: “I came to the Lakers ‘cause I wanted to help Jeanie (Buss) win championships, bring that spark back to the Lakers and see my family blossom in (Southern California). Why would I make a decision on how someone else is treated?”
🧢. I came to the Lakers cause I wanted to help Jeanie win championships, bring that Spark back to the Lakers and see my family blossom in SoCal. Why would I make a decision on how someone else is treated. Mama always said “Stay out of grown folks business”. 🤷🏾♂️ https://t.co/FsvTi5HqMU
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 5, 2024
Frankly, this makes much more sense than the alternative.
Again, the Lakers were reeling after Bryant retired. Over the course of two seasons, they won 61 total games. Longtime general manager Mitch Kupchak was replaced by Magic Johnson. Furthermore, they didn’t have a single player who could score 20 points per game.
Then James came.
As he entered free agency in 2018, the four-time NBA MVP had been linked to the Lakers for circumstantial reasons. He had a budding —and now well-established —media company. The franchise has employed several legendary players, from Shaquille O’Neal to Wilt Chamberlain. Bryant’s tragic death was even cited as a contributing factor due to the respect James had for him.
Not many people, if any, mentioned that he was already considering what the end of his career might look like. As he was already in his mid-30s, he may have been. Even if he was though, Bryant’s career didn’t end the way he wanted it to.
Similar Endings?
Bryant’s body was breaking down, which was evident in his play and presence on the injury report. The Lakers won fewer than 30 games in each of his last four seasons, failing to clinch a playoff berth. However, in 2013, L.A. honored the then 35 year old with a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension. He was the league’s highest-paid player.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, Bryant’s contract handicapped the team. Because of financial constraints, they had trouble convincing players to sign with them, especially with Bryant on his last leg. As a result, they were forced to build through the draft.
Sound familiar?
All of that being said, in the final year of Bryant’s 18-year career, Los Angeles gave the five-time NBA champion a ceremonious send-off. He received a tribute video and raucous cheers at every arena he went to. A neophyte basketball fan could’ve seen how much he meant to the Lakers and the league as a whole.
If anything, that could have been what James was envisioning if he was truly enamored by the way the organization treated Bryant at the end of his career.
Yet, if James wanted a special retirement tour, he didn’t need the Lakers organization for that. All 30 teams would have made sure he was given the respect he deserves. Furthermore, he means more to the Cleveland Cavaliers than the Lakers.
The Last Word on LeBron James Joining Lakers
In the end, the four-time NBA champion has accomplished what he set out to do when joined L.A. in 2018, at least in a general sense.
He led the franchise to a championship in 2020. He brought excitement with the genuine belief that the Lakers could win championships. Last but not least, his family thrived in Southern California, especially his sons.
There’s no doubt that James would have preferred to win more than one ring in the seven seasons he’s been in Los Angeles. From that standpoint, his Lakers tenure hasn’t been particularly impressive. However, it’s been a special chapter in his career —and his life —regardless.
