LeBron James raised some eyebrows on Saturday night after the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks 113-105. James had a Knicks towel on him during his postgame interview, and NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes he was trying to pressure the Lakers by wearing it.
“He was cognizant and aware that he was putting on a towel that said New York Knicks. Why would he mess with the Knicks? Because he was using the Knicks as a tool to pressure the Lakers.”
LeBron James was using the Knicks to put pressure on the Lakers, per @WindhorstESPN
“He was cognizant and aware that he was putting on a towel that said New York Knicks. Why would he mess with the Knicks? Because he was using the Knicks as a tool to pressure the Laker.”
(Via… pic.twitter.com/HNvDehobr2
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 5, 2024
Normally, a player has their own team’s towel on them, so you get why Windhorst thinks there was a specific reason why LeBron did this. Also, when you take into account some of the 39-year-old’s recent actions, there is reason to believe he is trying to put some pressure on the Lakers by using the Knicks.
It all kicked off with that infamous post by James on X with the hourglass emoji, suggesting that time was running out. Then before this game against the Knicks, LeBron said he doesn’t know what he’ll do with his player option for the 2024-25 season.
He refused to commit to the Lakers and also admitted he had considered playing for the Knicks at one point. Then came this towel incident and afterward, LeBron called Madison Square Garden his favorite playground. Put all that together, and you could interpret it as James telling the Lakers they better make some moves fast.
The Lakers Are Not Reacting To LeBron James’ Antics
As for how the team is taking all of this, the Lakers are not reacting to LeBron’s maneuvers, cryptic messages, or the towel incident. They reportedly are only going to make moves that they feel are right, and won’t be forced into making a decision by James.
Time is starting to run out for them to make a trade, though, as we are now very close to the February 8 deadline. It might explain why LeBron is sending all these messages, as the 20-time All-Star realizes it’s basically now or never.
Unless the Lakers make some notable changes in the coming days, it’s hard to see how they end up turning this season around. They currently sport a 26-25 record and have just been wildly inconsistent throughout this campaign. At this point, it is who they are, and teams like this don’t have success in the postseason.
Even though LeBron looks like he can keep playing forever, as he is averaging 24.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in his 21st season, he knows he only has so many seasons left in him. He wants to maximize his chances of winning a championship, and this group doesn’t seem capable of getting over that line.
If the Lakers continue to stick by their guns, could LeBron ask out now? The Knicks can put together an intriguing package to land James, but it seems a bit too late to me now. What could very well happen if they don’t end up making any moves, is that he ends up leaving the Lakers this offseason by opting out.
LeBron would have a much better shot at winning a title with teams like the Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers, than the Lakers as they are presently constructed. LA just needs to decide what they want here. Do they give up future draft picks in trades to appease James or do they want to save them and risk losing their superstar?
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