If you asked any basketball fan in the world 5 or 10 years ago if LeBron James was ever going to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, 9 out of 10 would probably say no.
Even though there were plenty of reports pointing at LeBron’s interest in making a move to Hollywood, it was still a somewhat shocking decision considering the Lakers were a rebuilding team in a crowded Western Conference and LeBron James was already playing for his hometown team.
Fast-forward to today and James is on the verge of giving the Lakers the 17th title in franchise history. However, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the lack of an emotional connection he feels with the Lakers could make him look for a different team to finish his career, but that still believes that he will stay with at LA until the end of his career:
“Probably. His decision to go to LA… it makes all the sense in the world. It’s not really an emotional decision. It was a personal decision. It was a business decision. Him being a Laker it makes all the sense,” Windhorst said on Alex Kennedy’s podcast.
Then, Windhorst went on to add that even though this Championship will have a special feeling for Lakers fans because of Kobe’s passing and their 10-year drought, he may still not be remembered as a Lakers player once it’s all said and done:
“To me when I see LeBron as a Laker I’m not moved like I was when LeBron a Heat or LeBron was a Cav. This championship that I assume they’re going to win when they win one of the next three games it will be a special moment because it will bring the Lakers back. It happens in the wake of Kobe’s tragic death. And so for the Lakers and their fans, for Kobe fans there is a moment there but it is not the same. In my view. I mean he can feel differently and he can say differently. But in my view it’s no quite the same as his first win in Miami when he broke through. It’s definitely not the same, again to me, as the win in Cleveland. (…) Sitting here in 2020 I doubt LeBron will be remembered as a Laker,” he concluded.
I honestly don’t think that LeBron James is thinking about his next move right now with Game 5 of the NBA Finals insight. Moreover, he’s going to be 37 years old when his contract runs out, so even though he has the physical tools to play into his 40s, maybe he doesn’t even want to do that. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
