On today’s episode of the Daily Variety podcast, Variety’s Marlowe Stern breaks down LeBron James’ decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons and one championship title. This realignment leaves one of the most high-profile teams in the NBA a little lacking in star power.
James is without a doubt one of the greatest players to ever play this game. However, with his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers, the team is at a crossroads and in need of a rebuild. The point is, the Los Angeles team needs to either acquire a top player or develop the next Shaq or Kobe.
James’ on-court talent has been overshadowed in recent years by his high-pressure approach to bringing his son, Bronny James, to the Lakers. Stern, Variety’s chief correspondent and avid NBA fan, said the Bronny James situation has some fans frustrated. LeBron James’ decision came a day after the Lakers signed Bronny to a two-year contract. And LeBron is also thinking about his legacy, Stern said.
“With his son’s future secured, I think LeBron decided it was time to move on. And to be honest, I think he also looked at the team and the system and realized that they probably weren’t going to win a championship next year. And I think what he really wants more than anything is a fifth NBA title,” Stern says. “He basically wants to win more titles than Stephen Curry and become the player with the most NBA titles in his generation. He wants to inch closer to Michael Jordan, who has six NBA titles. The constant refrain is that the NBA And it’s always been between Michael Jordan and LeBron. And LeBron is very aware of these conversations and has been asked ad nauseam. So I think it’s really important for him to win that fifth title.”
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