Lebron James has signed a four year deal to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. He will finish his career playing for the Lakers. He joins a pantheon of Laker luminaries that includes George Mikan, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul Jabaar, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O' neal.
James put Cleveland basketball on the map. He lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to 5 Eastern Conference championships including 4 in a row. He lead them to their only NBA championship in 2016. Additionally, he won 4 Eastern Conference championships with Miami, including 2 NBA championships. This is his first foray into the Western Conference.
James is 33 and he has played in more minutes and in more games than Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. As many have said, age and injuries will be a factor soon. He will need to be surrounded by good players if he wants to win more championships.
His decision to go to Los Angeles was decidedly more low key than his decision to leave Cleveland the first time. There was no press conference or interview. Just an announcement by his agent. Sometimes less is more.
It will be interesting to see what kind of team is built around James. Traditionally, he has always needed to be surrounded by shooters. James has been a multi faceted player who has facilitated for other players and has been able to create his own shot as well. He will probably have a similar role with Los Angeles.
However, the team's decisions to sign Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson are interesting. Both are not good shooters. Nevertheless, both are veterans with a good understanding of basketball. Maybe they will help James provide veteran leadership. They will balance out the roster which includes younger players like Kyle Kuzma, who is a good shooter.
It will be interesting to see if Rajon Rondo starts over second year player Lonzo Ball. Ball's father has promoted his sons and tried to create a unique family brand, however, Lonzo struggles to shoot the ball and may not be the starting point guard when the season starts. How his father deals with that is anybody's guess. How James and the senior Ball interact will also be interesting.
James has had unique challenges at different times in his career. Playing for the Lakers will be different than playing for the Heat or the Cavaliers. He is joining a team with a richer basketball tradition than Cleveland and Miami have had. So, the challenges and the experience will be different.
As a young player in Cleveland, James guided a deficient team to the NBA finals in 2007 where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. At age 25, he realized that the Cavaliers were not equipped to win a title, so he left to form a super team with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade in Miami. All three were in the prime of their careers. They were expected to win multiple titles. They won two NBA title, and James was able to prove he could be a champion.
When he returned to Cleveland from Miami, he had the challenge of helping the Cavaliers win their first ever title. He successfully guided the Cavaliers to their first championship and will be appreciated in Cleveland forever. He will always be thought of as a Cavalier. He will always be associated with the city of Cleveland and the Cavalier organization.
In Los Angeles, he will help re establish the proud Laker tradition. The Lakers have lost more games than any other team in the NBA over the last 5 years. They have bottomed out. They have hit rock bottom, and James will help the Lakers to become relevant again.
The NBA is better when certain teams are good. The NBA seems more interesting when the Lakers are a contender. If the Lakers can improve it would be a boon for the league. However, the Lakers are not a championship contender right now. They are not as good as the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets. They may not be as good as the New Orleans Pelicans. They may be a 4th or a 5th seed in the West. They will probably be no higher than 3rd.
James is a good addition, but more work needs to be done. In today's NBA, there is a premium placed on three point shooting and floor spacing. The Lakers were one of the worst three point shooting teams in the NBA last year. The additions of Javale McGee, Lance Stephenson and Rajon Rondo will not help them improve in this area. So, they will need to add three point shooters to the roster.
Nevertheless, the Lakers are happy that they have playmakers like James, Rondo and Stephenson in the fold. Scouts often say that while teams can find shooters, it is more difficult to find playmakers. It will be interesting to see how coach Luke Walton combines the new players with the current ones on the roster. It will be especially interesting to see what role James plays for the Lakers.
James decision to leave Cleveland was a risky move. He could have finished his career in Cleveland and retired as a Cavalier. He could have stayed in the safe confines of the East. Instead, he ventured West for the challenge of rebuilding a team with a rich basketball tradition that has fallen on hard times.
If James wins a championship as a Laker, his move to Los Angeles will be seen as successful. However, if the Lakers do not win a title, then some will criticize the move. While the Cavaliers were always his team, the Lakers are a team that has been represented by many great players who have made their mark in the history of the NBA. In Los Angeles, James joins a lengthy list of great players. In Los Angeles, he is part of a great tradition, while in Cleveland he was the most proud member of that tradition.
It's also possible that James moved to Los Angeles for family reasons. If his family wanted to go out West, than that would understandably super cede all other concerns.
Additionally, James has said that he wants to try acting after his playing days are over. So, Los Angeles may have been attractive to him because of his post career plans.
In any event, his decision to leave Cleveland was received better by Cavaliers' fans than the first time he left. Owner Dan Gilbert showed gratitude for James' contribution to their 2016 championship and has said that James' number will be retired one day in Cleveland. Thankfully, James and the Cavaliers parted amicably this time.
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