The NBA world exploded on July 1, 2018. LeBron James had recently declined his player option with Cleveland and entered free agency. Teams around the league tried to lure James in but in the end, he signed a four-year, $153 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James has already completed what he moved to Los Angeles for, although that doesn’t mean that he’s not going to try to win another title with the Lakers.
The purple and gold are in eighth place in the West with a 26-28 record. If the regular season ended on Monday, Los Angeles would be back in the Play-In Tournament for the second consecutive year.
The Lakers have struggled to stay healthy and with James back from his latest injury, it’s tough to count Los Angeles out entirely. He’s referred to as King James for a reason.
However, his time with the Lakers could be approaching an unexpected ending.
Report: LeBron James willing to leave Lakers in order to play with Bronny
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 4, 2022
"But he’s made it very clear that he wants to play with his son. If that situation is available outside L.A., he’ll pursue it.” https://t.co/cv7q9IrX4L
LeBron James is willing to leave the Los Angeles Lakers to play with Bronny.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said:
"“LeBron likes L.A., he likes raising his family in L.A., and his post-career businesses are in L.A.,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told Sheridan. “But he’s made it very clear that he wants to play with his son. If that situation is available outside L.A., he’ll pursue it.”"
Bronny James is 17-years-old and is a junior at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles. He’s one of the top prospects in the country, which is understandable considering who his father is.
The younger James will either further his basketball career at college or in the NBA. If he goes straight to the league, his father is open to going wherever he ends up.
James signed a two-year, $85.7 million contract extension with the Lakers ahead of the 2020-21 season. He’s under contract through the 2022-23 season. James’ contract is set to end around the same time that his son is set to graduate from Sierra Canyon. That’s not a coincidence.
The 37-year-old hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. He’s averaging 29.1 points per game and is shooting 52.3% from the field. Even as he approaches 40, he’ll be a desirable target.
James has said that it will be an “unbelievable moment” if he gets to take the court alongside his oldest son. It’d be a dream come true for his family.
Will James get to do that in Los Angeles with the Lakers? Or will he go elsewhere when his contract is up?
We can’t help but think about how fitting it’d be to see the ultimate father-son duo suit up together for their hometown team, the Cavaliers.
Regardless of if James stays in Los Angeles or not, he’ll always be a Lakers legend. And perhaps his greatest accomplishment will be getting to be his son’s teammate as Bronny begins his journey in the NBA. What a moment that’ll be.