Chris “Mad Dog” Russo thinks that the 4-time NBA champ LeBron James needs to settle down in order to leave his legacy as the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
“Yes, how many teams does he wanna be on? Cleveland, Miami, Cleveland, the Lakers,” he said, recounting the many teams James has been on.
He further added that James must be willing to sacrifice whatever it takes for the Lakers to become a contender once more, pointing out that James is not getting any younger and every move he makes will make a difference.
“He should sit there and say, ‘I got about three quality big-time years left in my body where I can play big-time basketball. I have made a billion dollars, I don’t need any more money,” he said.
The topic of where James is going to play next has always been talked about in the NBA community. This season will be his last one with the Lakers, making James an unrestricted free agent in summer 2023. For the time being, there has been no indication as to where he may be heading after this, although there have been rumors.
Interest in playing with James
James’ former teammate Kevin Love has said that he would like James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, even if it’s just a one-day contract. Although there’s a possibility to do so, James still has many long years to remain active.
On Thursday, Stephen A. Smith from ESPN reported that Kyrie Irving has been telling everybody whom he wants to play for, considering he did decide not to go with the Brooklyn Nets for the 2022-23 season.
“Kyrie Irving is telling everybody he plans on going to LA, meaning the Lakers, as soon as he possibly can,” he said. “When he becomes a free agent after this season is over, he plans on rejoining LeBron James in a Lakers uniform.”
Smith added that since Irving opted into his $36.9 player option for this season, this could happen when the Lakers have $70-80 million in cap space. There is also a possibility that Irving and the Nets could negotiate a buyout, which allows Irving to join the Lakers before the 2022-23 season.
This is especially notable since both James and Irving won an NBA title with the Cavaliers back in 2016.
Playing with Bronny
Should James be staying in the Lakers, he said that he wants to play with his son, Bronny.
“I also have a goal that, if it’s possible – I don’t even know if it’s possible – that if I can play with my son,” he said. “I would love to do that. Is that, like, something that any man shouldn’t want that in life? That’s like the coolest thing that could possibly happen.”
He also added that this doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be with the Lakers. Dan Lakers from NBC Sports that there’s a 1-in-30 chance for the Lakers to recruit Bronny. It’s possible that they are especially eager to draft the youngster who’s on track to be draft-eligible in 2024. However, there are also other teams who wish to get Bronny and draw James as well.
For the time being, LeBron will have to choose between playing for the Lakers and playing with Bronny, although James keeps sending mixed signals.