LOS ANGELES – After commenting raised eyebrows of LeBron James leading up to the trade deadline and continuing through the All-Star weekend has the basketball world speculating about his future with Los Angeles LakersJames clarified a few things Friday night.
First, he wants the Lakers – the team he has played for the past four seasons of his 19-year career – to be the last franchise he plays for.
“This is a franchise that I find myself with. I’m here. I’m here,” he said after the Lakers’ 105-102 loss to the LA Clippers. “I find myself staying with purple and gold as long as I can play.”
Along with that goal, James, who has one more season under contract in LA and will be eligible to sign a two-year extension this summer worth $97 million north, wants to play in the NBA alongside the bridge. his 17-year-old player. son, Bronny, is currently in middle school.
“I also have a goal, if possible – I don’t even know if it’s possible – that if I could play with my son, I’d love to do it,” said 37-year-old James. “like, what is it that any man shouldn’t want in life? It’s like the best thing that could happen. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be in this franchise.”
Under the terms of the current collective agreement, Bronny will not be eligible to compete in the league until the 2024-25 season.
James told The Athletic on All-Star weekend in Cleveland, “My final year will be playing with my son. … Wherever Bronny is, I’ll be there. I’ll do whatever it takes to play with my son. a year. At that time, it wasn’t about the money.”
While it remains to be seen what the next two years will do for Bronny’s draft stock, there are plenty of plots available to LA to find their own position to get him when he’s eligible for the nomination. the NBA through deals or James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, informed other teams that preventing Bronny from joining his father in LA by bringing him to work would have may make it more difficult to do business with other Klutch customers in the future.
James also said he wants to make it clear that his role with the Lakers is that of a player. Rob Pelinka, executive vice president of basketball and general manager of the Lakers, can consult James and Anthony Davis about personnel decisions, but according to James, the relationship ended with Pelinka and the rest of the Lakers’ main office, not with him.
“I didn’t push the button,” James said. “They asked for my opinion and I voiced my opinion and what I believed in. But I didn’t push any buttons. That’s the job of the main office and that’s what the leadership team of the company does. we aim.
“I didn’t press any buttons. So we can say it now.”
James also said that his recent praise of Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead and Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti is not involved in his opinion on Pelinka’s performance.
“If I comment [on] or commend the GM who is at OKC – I truly believe he has done an extraordinary job. And you guys back that up with me saying that Rob’s not doing well,” James said. And if I say GM from the Rams: I love his f—ing t-shirt. I think it’s dope. And so do I. I don’t care about options; I’m interested in winning the championship. Well, how is that headed for Rob and the Lakers franchise? Rob did the same thing. He went and got AD. Obviously he doesn’t care about picks. “
James says the Lakers’ disappointing season – Friday’s loss dropped them to 27-32 with 23 games left – is the root of much speculation about his future.
He said the injury ruined his chances, Davis and Russell Westbrook to build any form of engagement in hopes of becoming a rival. LA are 11-9 in the 20 games they’ve featured on the roster together this season.
“I really wish that we played basketball better and between me, AD and Russ on the floor at the same time,” James said. “That was the biggest disappointment so far, which the three of us, because we all wanted to see this production. We just haven’t been on the floor yet.”
James is the 3rd top scorer in league history and has 4 championships, 4 Finals MVPs and 4 regular season MVPs during his career. He remains focused on adding as many titles to his resume as possible before retiring.
And he said the Lakers have given him, and continue to give him, a chance to accomplish that, adding that he is “very confident” in the team’s office.
“They did it. They showed me it,” James said. “Ever since I came here, Jeanie’s main office [Buss]Linda [Rambis]Kurt [Rambis], people welcomed me with open arms and gave me the opportunity to play for a historic franchise and welcome my family. And I’m just trying to give my play back and inspire the kids and inspire the people who want to watch the Lakers and bring them back to the level they’re used to. And that has always been my focus. “
Earlier on Friday, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Paul met with the Lakers’ main office on Tuesday and had a clear, active session to get the parties back in sync following the comments. James’s publicity.
When asked about the meeting, James said, “I think it’s important that it’s always been transparent between us and that we don’t really care about the noise outside. I mean, I think a lot of it. who is, to be honest, just jealous of the relationship Rich has with the main office and with this team and with the relationship that I have, which I’ve developed over the past four years. is what I think of it.”
