What? Another LeBron Thread on the Lakers Boards?

[Vitamike]

Watching Final Take yesterday, and guest host Jalen Rose was on talking about possible destinations for LeBron should he leave Cleveland. He toyed with a possible Clippers fit, pairing up with Paul, but then went on to say he would actually join the Lakers.

Will LeBron retire a Laker?

Rose said, having LeBron James sign with the Los Angeles Lakers is interesting, mostly because of the history of the Lakers franchise, LeBron's personal history with Kobe Bryant, and pointed to the fact that Magic is the right person for LeBron to work with regarding his interest in an NBA team ownership aspect.

I've been up and down with LeBron. Just loved the guy when he first came into the league! Cheered for him in his first Finals vs the Spurs, but as his star rose along with his ego, I waned as a fan of the player which eventually led to cheering against him as he struggled with his Cavs to make it back to the Finals in his first stint with Cleveland. When he joined the Heat, I thought he made a mockery of the game, and I was part of the collusion crowd. Like most, I laughed at all the Cav fans who just a few years ago where burning his jersey in welcoming him home with a ticker tape parade type fanfare. Then seeing last years Finals gave me doubt about the fix once again in the NBA with the Cavs winning the title with all the controversy that surrounded the epic come back down 1-3 vs the NBA best ever regular season record team.

So now I hear this... My opinion of James has changed a lot since rooting against him for so long, I kind of wanted him to bring the Championship to Cleveland just the way it happened with the Green suspension and all was really suspect. Still it is what it is, and here we are.

If they fail to win I can see this actually happening, not this year but next. Especially if PG13 and he both are to join the Lakers.

Still not sure how I would feel about it though. I feel like LBJ has matured a lot over the last few years, but still unsure of how I really feel about it, so that's why I started this thread. I was curious how my fellow Lakers fans would feel if we drafted Lonzo this Summer, and signed both LBJ & PG13 in the Summer of 2018?

Not having to give up any assets our biggest problem would be dealing with the cap. But we would have the depth to get past the Warriors....

Who knows, we could see a new beginning of the Lakers and Celtics in 2019?

Anyway, let hear your opinions....

Here are some supporting links to go along with the story.

LBJ praise for Lakers youth and Luke...
LeBron James has high praise for young Lakers team

LBJ praise for Ingram...
LeBron James heaped praise on Brandon Ingram and the Lakers

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

No thanks. I'd rather wait another couple of years for the young team to mature than get him in.

Although wiggy would cry himself to sleep every night for a month though.

 

[shopson67]

Can't say I'm anxious to watch another all-timer on the decline; it's much more promising to watch the kids grow and build around them. Besides, if he's giving up on his home town again, who wants to take the risk of blowing up your roster for a Lebron rental?

 

[Vitamike]

No thanks. I'd rather wait another couple of years for the young team to mature than get him in.

LOL, I read 'then' instead of 'than'.

I almost replied, the only difference would be an older LBJ....

So, do you think in two years that Ball, George, Ingram, Randall and Zubac, with Russell, Clarkson & Nance off the bench, is enough to beat the Warriors in a 7 game series?

Are there any other potential free agents you see as a fit with PG13 to help improve the Lakers to get back to the Finals?

Also, why wouldn't you want one of the NBA's great players to finish his career on the Lakers in the mold of KAJ?

 

[Vitamike]

Can't say I'm anxious to watch another all-timer on the decline; it's much more promising to watch the kids grow and build around them. Besides, if he's giving up on his home town again, who wants to take the risk of blowing up your roster for a Lebron rental?

Agree on the rental part shops, and that he would sign as a Free Agent, the only reason you blow up your roster is cap issues.

 

[trojanfan12]

Interesting. I doubt it happens, but I've followed the NBA since 1970, so not much surprises me anymore. Especially when it comes to the Lakers.

Some examples: I didn't see Kareem coming to the Lakers, them adding Magic and Worthy to playoff caliber and championship caliber teams, didn't see them getting Mychal Thompson, or later on, Shaq. Didn't see the Gasol trade coming...etc.

As for how I feel about it? I'd look at Lebron the same way I looked at Kobe. I didn't like Kobe and a lot of the shit he did, but I pulled for him as a Laker and appreciate all of the winning, awesome moments and the 5 titles that the Lakers probably wouldn't have without him.

So, I still wouldn't like Lebron, but any winning and/or titles that happened with him on the team would be very much appreciated.

The main thing that would concern me would be that we would have a, now 34 year old Lebron, with all of those miles on him. He's an athletic freak, but sooner or later, all players decline. I'd be afraid of a Steve Nashv2.0 situation.

 

[shopson67]

Agree on the rental part shops, and that he would sign as a Free Agent, the only reason you blow up your roster is cap issues.

He's not coming alone. Those kids are going to get shipped out in trade for PG13, Westbrook, whomever he thinks he can get.

 

[shopson67]

The main thing that would concern me would be that we would have a, now 34 year old Lebron, with all of those miles on him. He's an athletic freak, but sooner or later, all players decline. I'd be afraid of a Steve Nashv2.0 situation.

Lebron is 32. Maybe Kobe could work with him on his conditioning LOL.

 

[Vitamike]

He's not coming alone. Those kids are going to get shipped out in trade for PG13, Westbrook, whomever he thinks he can get.

I didn't look at it that way...

I guess I bought into the comments he made about Ingram & the Lakers youngsters, and if Ball can be the PG of the future, and Ingram & Randall start balling at a high level with George, I didn't see a real need, but that's what he does, right?

Good point shops!

 

[trojanfan12]

He's not coming alone. Those kids are going to get shipped out in trade for PG13, Westbrook, whomever he thinks he can get.

Based on the OP, it would be in 2018. So Lebron and PG-13 would be coming via FA, not in a trade. So they could actually get them without blowing up the current roster.

However, for that to happen, the Lakers would have to unload the Deng and Mozgov contracts to teams looking for expiring deals to create the cap space.

I'm not sure how soon some of the younger guys like Russell and Randle's contracts are up, so the Lakers may need to make some decisions there. Russell wouldn't be too much of a loss because PG-13 would be the 2 anyway.

For them to get Lebron though, he's going to either be the PF or SF. So either Randle or Ingram would have to be moved or agree to come off the bench for a couple of seasons.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

I agree with alot of what you said Vita, with the exception of rooting for him initially.

I hated all the hype he got before he even stepped into the NBA hardcourt. Yes, he backed it up, but I thought it was over the top ridiculous, even to the point of ESPN showing his high school games.

Have they done that for anyone else before or since? Nope.

I would have respect for him if he had done it the right way in Cleveland instead of going out and forming a super team, and then coming back to the Cavs when they were loaded with #1 picks.

I wouldn't want him on the Lakers because I don't want to have to stop watching/rooting for my Lakers.

If LeBron decided to come to LA, it would feel like he was doing the same thing all over again, jumping to a team with lots of young talent while jumping off a team that might be headed in the wrong direction ( ala Heat ).

I would rather the Lakers followed the Warriors model and build a successful team via the draft and maybe add a key FA in IN PG13 ( ala Warriors getting Durant ).

That would be a team I could really cheer for.

 

[Kenny]

I do not see him coming over to the West. He has it made in the East. He will be in the finals every year over there. Maybe Boston can take them down if they get a legit superstar.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I do not see him coming over to the West. He has it made in the East. He will be in the finals every year over there. Maybe Boston can take them down if they get a legit superstar.

Lebron has Gilbert, Griffin and Lue by the nutsack! No way he leaves a place where he has more power over the team than the owner and GM.

Jeanie and Magic would never put up with that!

 

[trojanfan12]

I agree with alot of what you said Vita, with the exception of rooting for him initially.

I hated all the hype he got before he even stepped into the NBA hardcourt. Yes, he backed it up, but I thought it was over the top ridiculous, even to the point of ESPN showing his high school games.

Have they done that for anyone else before or since? Nope.

I would have respect for him if he had done it the right way in Cleveland instead of going out and forming a super team, and then coming back to the Cavs when they were loaded with #1 picks.

I wouldn't want him on the Lakers because I don't want to have to stop watching/rooting for my Lakers.

If LeBron decided to come to LA, it would feel like he was doing the same thing all over again, jumping to a team with lots of young talent while jumping off a team that might be headed in the wrong direction ( ala Heat ).

I would rather the Lakers followed the Warriors model and build a successful team via the draft and maybe add a key FA in IN PG13 ( ala Warriors getting Durant ).

That would be a team I could really cheer for.

I get not wanting him on the team (kind of). But not cheering for the Lakers because of him? I mean, at the end of the day, it's about the team.

Players, whether we like them or not, come and go. It's the team that remains and it's the team that I pull for.

 

[trojanfan12]

Lebron has Gilbert, Griffin and Lue by the nutsack! No way he leaves a place where he has more power over the team than the owner and GM.

Jeanie and Magic would never put up with that!

True. But I don't see him having that kind of power there forever. If he feels he can't win there, he may look to jump to a team with promising young guys. Especially if PG-13 joins them as well.

The appeal of the Lakers would obviously be what helping to restore a storied franchise to a championship level would do for his legacy.

Honestly, I'd say chances of Lebron actually coming to the Lakers would be about 5%. But, as I said earlier, very little surprises me anymore.

 

[Vitamike]

with the exception of rooting for him initially.

It did help ALR that he played against the Spurs in the Finals...

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

This vexes me the thought of him coming here. Keep him away from my city. We don't need a flopper, and a cry baby bitch at the end of his career. We have a great young core, and the future look's very bright for the Laker's.

Translation: Fuck LeFraud

By the way great to hear that the Lakers hired Lamar Odom as a consultant.

 

[black francis]

fuck LeBron

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

I get not wanting him on the team (kind of). But not cheering for the Lakers because of him? I mean, at the end of the day, it's about the team.

Players, whether we like them or not, come and go. It's the team that remains and it's the team that I pull for.

I get where you are coming from Trojan.

I just wouldn't enjoy the 'ship if he was a part of it.

It's the same as if Tom Brady came to my Rams and won a ring. I can't celebrate a 'ship with a cheater at the helm.

And in a sense, LeBron cheated his way to his rings in the way he went about forming superteams.

And how he is in the Convo for greatest ever knowing the way he went about it is baffling to me.

The greats of the past wanted to kick the snot out of their friends ( ie Magic and Bird ), not join forces with them.

 

[trojanfan12]

I get where you are coming from Trojan.

I just wouldn't enjoy the 'ship if he was a part of it.

It's the same as if Tom Brady came to my Rams and won a ring. I can't celebrate a 'ship with a cheater at the helm.

And in a sense, LeBron cheated his way to his rings in the way he went about forming superteams.

And how he is in the Convo for greatest ever knowing the way he went about it is baffling to me.

The greats of the past wanted to kick the snot out of their friends ( ie Magic and Bird ), not join forces with them.

Oh, I agree to a point.

As I said earlier, I still wouldn't like him. But as with Kobe, who I also didn't like, I would still appreciate any titles and great moments that came from him being on the team.

I don't really have a problem with Lebron changing teams. He had fulfilled his contract each time and was an FA. I actually have a bigger problem with Shaq basically forcing his way out via trade in a way that the Lakers basically ended up getting a bunch of scraps for him than I do Lebron leaving via FA.

I don't like the way he went about it (The Decision, not 1, not 2, etc.) when he went to Miami or the way he dicked Riley around when he went back to Cleveland.

But changing teams, I have no issue with. He left for what he felt was a better situation. Him trying to stack his teams doesn't bother me either. I mean, if he had chosen to come to the Lakers to team up with Kobe and bring along another all star...I sure wouldn't have complained, so I can't really criticize him for doing so with other teams. lol