LeBron James didn’t hold back when he responded to a report from ESPN claiming that his decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 was influenced by the organization’s handling of Kobe Bryant’s final years. The report, which highlighted the respect and care the Lakers showed to Bryant in the twilight of his career, suggested that it played a key role in LeBron’s decision-making process.
However, LeBron was quick to dispute this claim. On Saturday, he took to social media platform X, posting a “cap” emoji-a common way of calling out falsehoods-and quoted a post from Legion Hoops about the alleged reasoning behind his Lakers move.
LeBron aims for perfection as Bronny mimics him
For LeBron, the move was about bringing success back to the Lakers and helping owner Jeanie Buss win championships. “I came to the Lakers cause I wanted to help Jeanie win championships, bring that Spark back to the Lakers, and see my family blossom in SoCal,” LeBron wrote, clearly laying out his motivations. He dismissed the idea of basing his career moves on how someone else was treated, adding, “Mama always said ‘Stay out of grown folks business.'”
The report in question was penned by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and focused on the Lakers’ recent training camp under new head coach JJ Redick. The piece claimed that the Lakers’ care for Kobe Bryant during his final seasons had caught LeBron‘s attention years ago, becoming part of his reasoning for moving to Los Angeles.
The Lakers’ history with Bryant is undoubtedly legendary, from his 20-year career entirely spent with the franchise to his final game that saw him score 60 points. Following his retirement, the team even retired both of Bryant’s jersey numbers-8 and 24-further solidifying his legacy within the Lakers’ culture.
LeBron wanted to bring glory back to LA
But as far as LeBron is concerned, his choice to don the iconic purple and gold had more to do with his desire to rejuvenate the team’s winning legacy. LeBron’s passion to succeed with the Lakers remains evident, especially after he helped lead them to a championship in 2020. Recently, he extended his commitment to the Lakers, signing a two-year deal worth $101.35 million, notably taking a slight pay cut to ease salary cap restrictions for the team.
Interestingly, the report also noted that Lakers vice president Rob Pelinka had consulted Mike Krzyzewski, a longtime friend of Bryant and former Team USA coach, on how to handle the final chapter of LeBron’s career. Krzyzewski’s advice was focused on integrating LeBron’s legacy with the team’s goals, but LeBron appears set on writing his own story, undeterred by how others were treated.
In the midst of this discussion, James also responded to a separate post from Legion Hoops. This one involved a video clip of an NBA broadcaster suggesting that Russell Westbrook, now a member of the Nuggets, was unfairly made into a scapegoat during his time with the Lakers.
LeBron, now approaching 40, is set to play in the Lakers‘ upcoming preseason game against the Suns. With his strong statements dismissing rumors about his motives, LeBron continues to focus on what brought him to L.A.-bringing glory back to the Lakers and making a mark in his own unique way.
