The LeBron James-Los Angeles Lakers era is over. Well, not officially, as he can't sign with a new team until 3 p.m. PT, but as ESPN's Shams Charania reported, he informed LA earlier today that he will play elsewhere next season. As soon as that news dropped, it felt like he'd go to the Warriors, and that's even more so the case after looking at the Mind the Game podcast.
Earlier this morning, an episode with LeBron and Steph Curry talking about teaming up at the 2024 Olympics dropped.
LeBron raved about what it was like to get to play with Steph, saying that it was everything and more, calling it "perfect." It's worth noting that Charania reported that James is prioritizing happiness as he determines his next move, and playing with Curry fits that description for him.
We already knew that he felt that way, but is it a coincidence that the episode dropped the same day as the official start of free agency, when its co-host informed the Lakers he was leaving? Eh, probably not.
LeBron and Steph could soon be on the same NBA team
There was already smoke between LeBron and the Warriors, enough to make Golden State seem like a legit possibility. It wouldn't require him to be that far away from Los Angeles, his home base. He'd get to stay on the same side of the country as his son Bryce James, who is at Arizona.
His family is what matters most to him, but outside of that, the allure of teaming up with Curry for the first time in the NBA could be too much for him to ignore. Oh, and there is also Draymond Green, his good friend, who declined his $27.7 million player option for next season on Monday, giving the Warriors more financial flexibility. Steve Kerr is back in charge.
All of that matters. Lakers fans already knew that, but the ones who didn't want to see LeBron go were holding onto the hope that he'd stay in LA to end his career.
The Warriors were already a threat. And once the dust clears, the desire to play with Curry could be what won LeBron over. The timing of his podcast dropping that episode adds even more fuel to the fire, and it was already a big one.
Soon enough, what once felt like a dream of LeBron and Steph playing together in the NBA could come true, though it would be a few months until that duo took the court in a game for the first time.
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