LeBron James is one of the greatest players in NBA history but he also has charted one of the most unique paths to success in the league. LBJ has switched teams to be the number one option in different cities, playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Miami Heat, and now, Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaking on the ‘Bill Simmons Podcast’, Brian Windhorst revealed that LeBron feels a sense of comfort in Los Angeles that he hadn’t felt in Miami during his run with the Heat. Windhorst attributed LeBron’s comfort in LA to his age compared to younger ‘Bron in Miami.
“I think he’s making a decision, which by the way, he has every right to, he’s making a decision like this is where I want to be at the end of my career. He was never totally comfortable in Miami. As soon as the season ended, he was out of there back to Akron… Maybe even if he played in L.A. at that time of his life, that would have been the way he was. He was never comfortable there. He’s comfortable in L.A. His roots are in.”
Two Championships In Four Years
When LeBron was in Miami, he was going through one of the most turbulent times of his career. He joined the Heat knowing it was his best chance to win an NBA Championship, a goal he achieved in Years 2 and 3 with the team. After they lost in 2014 and the roster was old with no room to rebuild it into a contender, James took his business back to Cleveland to win a title at home.
Miami was the proving ground for LBJ, with the pressure at the highest it’s ever been in his career. Now that he’s in LA, he has done everything he had intended to from a basketball perspective. Winning a title in LA must have put him more at ease because he has added a banner to the legendary Lakers’ rafters.
The James family has also settled into LA really well, with all the children going to school in the city. With LBJ signing another contract extension with the Lakers, it seems he’s ready to make this his longest single stint with any team.
