The Los Angeles Lakers are currently at a crossroads. After a season in which poor roster construction played a large part in their failures, they need to get back to contending. The situation with Russell Westbrook seems more complicated with each passing day, and even though LeBron James has shown no signs of slowing down, he needs the right players around him if they wish to compete once again.
Since James joined the Lakers, the franchise has changed a lot. They traded much of their young core for Anthony Davis, which brought them a championship, but then also lost their role players, instead choosing to sign veterans. The roster lacked shooting and defense, and Russell Westbrook saw a sharp decline in his performance, leaving them in a precarious position.
With James trying to catch Michael Jordan, the situation is not ideal for him, with many suggesting that he could himself consider moving. But NBA analyst Colin Cowherd has now given his take on the situation, saying Bron knew exactly what he was doing when he moved to Los Angeles.
(starts at 3:43 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCWDTqb-GtA
“LeBron James decided, ‘I’m gonna move to Los Angeles,’ not for quality of basketball. We gotta rebuild the roster, for business. So, shocking. LeBron’s business is crushing and the basketball part is less than perfect.
“There were other better rosters. Philadelphia wanted him. They had Embiid. Other better rosters wanted him. So, LeBron is exactly, based on his choices, where he should be now. Still really talented, but a bit of a mess upstairs, a log jam, not a lot of cap space, crossing your fingers with Anthony Davis’ health, and not really a realistic viable championship contender. His choices have led him here.”
When James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time in 2018, any team would have been happy to get him. He was linked with moves to the Philadelphia 76ers, who has Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and the Houston Rockets, who at the time had James Harden still playing at an elite level. However, James chose the Lakers, and while they did win a championship in 2020, another seems quite unlikely at this time.
It’s a little unfair to suggest that LeBron moved to Los Angeles for non-basketball reasons, especially considering the success he has already had. However, there were indeed other superstars he could have played with as well that could have possibly ensured multiple championships. If James never wins another title with the Lakers, this might end up becoming a huge ‘what if’ in his career.
