LeBron James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers was in a little bit of doubt earlier this offseason, after the disastrous campaign that the team had just had. Some wondered if LeBron would agree to an extension, as his goal has always been to win a championship, and the Lakers didn’t seem to be in a position to contend for one.
As time went on though, it became more likely that he would extend and he did so somewhat quickly, as LeBron agreed to a 2-year extension with the team earlier this week. He surprisingly did it even before the team had made any major moves in the offseason, as some had speculated that he might just delay the decision as a means to force the team into making a blockbuster trade for someone like Kyrie Irving.
It did raise some questions as LeBron has in the past never hesitated from jumping ship if the situation wasn’t ideal and Kevin Pelton stated that the key reason he extended with the team appears to be his desire to live in Los Angeles.
via ESPN:
Part of the reason James has hopscotched from team to team more than most all-time greats is the way those teams have tended to deplete their resources in pursuit of championships. Essentially, LeBron has been his own version of the success cycle, taking teams that have stockpiled cap space and draft picks and quickly converting those into aging veterans who can help him win immediately
By committing to a sixth season with the Lakers, James has already changed direction from that thinking. From the cold, logical perspective of pursuing as many championships as possible, LeBron would have been better off ditching L.A. after this season and finding a new team. As James’ career winds down, the appeal of living in Los Angeles appears to have become the key factor in his decision-making.
Perhaps, for the first time ever, winning a championship wasn’t the key factor in his decision-making process. As Pelton states, from a logical perspective, he would have been better suited to go elsewhere next year if he wanted to win, but he very quickly committed to staying.
It might be the case that something is brewing behind the scenes and maybe the Lakers are going to land Irving, which would significantly improve their chances of winning another title. Until a move like that happens, though, it seems like he decided to stick around just so that he didn’t have to uproot himself and his family from Los Angeles.
