LeBron James Makes First Public Comments About Signing With Lakers

[RealGM Wiretap]

LeBron James has made his first public comments since agreeing to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers on July 1st.

“You look at the Lakers,” James said. “Being able to play for a historic franchise with so much history, and now being able to partner with Magic Johnson, someone I kinda like looked up to when I was younger and wanted to make no look passes like Magic, wanted to get on the break and be Showtime like Magic and then for it to all come to fruition at this point...

“I think timing is everything. For me to be in this position now, the excitement that I have to be a Laker, I’m happy to be a part of it because I believe the Lakers is a historical franchise, we all know that, but it’s a championship franchise and that’s what we’re trying to get back to. I’m happy to be a part of the culture and be a part of us getting back to that point.”

Via Mike Trudell/Lakers.com

[colaroaster]

why couldn't lebron attract friends/free agent to play with him in the land?? thank gawd he doesn't play for my team

[FrogmanV]

B.S. ....

... I'm the same age as LeBron, and trust me, he couldn't have possibly looked up to Magic growing up... dude was obviously famous & well known, but the only way he watched him was highlights & reruns, which ...ah... weren't ... ah... all that easy to come across during those times. You may have since watched every game the guy played ... when you were anointed as the 2nd coming, rich as **** & tons of access, but you sure as **** are lying about idolizing him over MJ, Penny, Shaq, Reggie ... etc.

bull LBJ, bull. Like everything else that comes out this business's mouth. It's all PR phony bs. Guy is such a bitch. Why lie about everything? You can't be liked by everyone, can't you tell? You try so hard yet are still hated. Can't seem to piece the puzzle together.

Here's why he did it:
1) Legacy - if he wins 3 titles in 3 towns, as their #1 ... that's gunna be special... he can craft the team around him as he sees fit in LAL ... Money & Solid young talent. It's unique. It's easier. Not doing anything unique, and certainly more difficult in CLE ... plus you don't give as much of 2-5 below.
2) Be a part of a team of legends, the Lakers... a club he will fit in with & love to chum it up with. A franchise made of people he respects, unlike CLE .. and not just contemporaries. More than one, just one man (Pat Riley, whom I imagine he doesn't exactly relate to ... definitely nothing like the likes of Lakers history).
3) Media (love/adornment by one of the most dominating sports franchise bases in the world) ... imagine, MOAR LEBRON! YAY!!!
4) Business, Money (not a high priority when you should easily be a billionaire well before your death)
5) Weather, retirement, family (can you imagine the weird/odd situations with a parent so famous (read: busy) & wealthy? I can't imagine how much he qualifies as "parent" ... more like wipes their ass in the summer a few times & cooks dinner never... hangs out ... mostly a friend who tells you how it's going to be. Family & friends do the actual parenting I'm sure. If she's a great woman, his wife does a lot but would be pretty natural & easy for her to delegate that.

Do I blame him/them? No... kind of how it has to be / or is.

I can't breathe...

[Dr Huge Pecs]

Translation: this jersey will look good for my "legacy." time to leave another franchise with bad contracts (but this time no chips*) in my wake.

[Gary Cokeman]

B.S. ....

... I'm the same age as LeBron, and trust me, he couldn't have possibly looked up to Magic growing up... dude was obviously famous & well known, but the only way he watched him was highlights & reruns, which ...ah... weren't ... ah... all that easy to come across during those times. You may have since watched every game the guy played ... when you were anointed as the 2nd coming, rich as **** & tons of access, but you sure as **** are lying about idolizing him over MJ, Penny, Shaq, Reggie ... etc.

bull LBJ, bull. Like everything else that comes out this business's mouth. It's all PR phony bs. Guy is such a bitch. Why lie about everything? You can't be liked by everyone, can't you tell? You try so hard yet are still hated. Can't seem to piece the puzzle together.

Here's why he did it:
1) Legacy - if he wins 3 titles in 3 towns, as their #1 ... that's gunna be special... he can craft the team around him as he sees fit in LAL ... Money & Solid young talent. It's unique. It's easier. Not doing anything unique, and certainly more difficult in CLE ... plus you don't give as much of 2-5 below.
2) Be a part of a team of legends, the Lakers... a club he will fit in with & love to chum it up with. A franchise made of people he respects, unlike CLE .. and not just contemporaries. More than one, just one man (Pat Riley, whom I imagine he doesn't exactly relate to ... definitely nothing like the likes of Lakers history).
3) Media (love/adornment by one of the most dominating sports franchise bases in the world) ... imagine, MOAR LEBRON! YAY!!!
4) Business, Money (not a high priority when you should easily be a billionaire well before your death)
5) Weather, retirement, family (can you imagine the weird/odd situations with a parent so famous (read: busy) & wealthy? I can't imagine how much he qualifies as "parent" ... more like wipes their ass in the summer a few times & cooks dinner never... hangs out ... mostly a friend who tells you how it's going to be. Family & friends do the actual parenting I'm sure. If she's a great woman, his wife does a lot but would be pretty natural & easy for her to delegate that.

Do I blame him/them? No... kind of how it has to be / or is.

I can't breathe...

Damn bruh, tell us how you really feel.

[Sam195]

Not one, not two....................... not seven

Miami fans are not amused by Lebron jumping in the magic bandwagon talking about championships when in fact he just went there to be a mogul. Lebron makes KD look like a saint.

[FrogmanV]

Translation: this jersey will look good for my "legacy." time to leave another franchise with bad contracts (but this time no chips*) in my wake.

(don't get me wrong, I agree with you point, but making my own general side point)

At least he didn't deplete his new team by doing the weak-ass Sign & Trade ... smart for once. Which I can appreciate.

How dumb of you (FA) to deplete the next team & then say you want to compete with them. Um... wut... Y U MAK NO Cents!

[FrogmanV]

Damn bruh, tell us how you really feel.

... some of us actually (are capable of) contribute(ing) to substantive discussion.

[Gary Cokeman]

Damn bruh, tell us how you really feel.

... some of us actually (are capable of) contribute(ing) to substantive discussion.

Lol okay.... but that **** you just typed was pure garbage, what's there to discuss, you hate Lebron? Come on son, you **** on this man's parenting skills, like you have a **** clue, kinda **** is that?

[PDXKnight]

The aren't gonna be a contender unless they indeed can sign kawhi.

[bringinhinkie]

The aren't gonna be a contender unless they indeed can sign kawhi.

he just made the finals on a team where kevin love was the 2nd best player and guys like JR smith received big minutes (and down the stretch) .. and they should have taken game 1 of the finals vs GS

LeBron doesn't need much .. and definitely not any single individual by name (e.g. "they NEED kawhi") .. he needs help, sure, but it doesn't have to be kawhi .. brains + capspace + being the Lakers = always the opportunity to reload

also . . . LMAO at the Lebron hate in this thread

[PDXKnight]

The aren't gonna be a contender unless they indeed can sign kawhi.

he just made the finals on a team where kevin love was the 2nd best player and guys like JR smith received big minutes (and down the stretch) .. and they should have taken game 1 of the finals vs GS

LeBron doesn't need much .. and definitely not any single individual by name (e.g. "they NEED kawhi") .. he needs help, sure, but it doesn't have to be kawhi .. brains + capspace + being the Lakers = always the opportunity to reload

also . . . LMAO at the Lebron hate in this thread

I don't hate lebron, I just don't think la is anywhere close to Houston or gs right now and it's not even close. Gs and Houston are the contenders everyone else is pretenders currently

[cheese318]

B.S. ....

... I'm the same age as LeBron, and trust me, he couldn't have possibly looked up to Magic growing up... dude was obviously famous & well known, but the only way he watched him was highlights & reruns, which ...ah... weren't ... ah... all that easy to come across during those times. You may have since watched every game the guy played ... when you were anointed as the 2nd coming, rich as **** & tons of access, but you sure as **** are lying about idolizing him over MJ, Penny, Shaq, Reggie ... etc.

bull LBJ, bull. Like everything else that comes out this business's mouth. It's all PR phony bs. Guy is such a bitch. Why lie about everything? You can't be liked by everyone, can't you tell? You try so hard yet are still hated. Can't seem to piece the puzzle together.

Here's why he did it:
1) Legacy - if he wins 3 titles in 3 towns, as their #1 ... that's gunna be special... he can craft the team around him as he sees fit in LAL ... Money & Solid young talent. It's unique. It's easier. Not doing anything unique, and certainly more difficult in CLE ... plus you don't give as much of 2-5 below.
2) Be a part of a team of legends, the Lakers... a club he will fit in with & love to chum it up with. A franchise made of people he respects, unlike CLE .. and not just contemporaries. More than one, just one man (Pat Riley, whom I imagine he doesn't exactly relate to ... definitely nothing like the likes of Lakers history).
3) Media (love/adornment by one of the most dominating sports franchise bases in the world) ... imagine, MOAR LEBRON! YAY!!!
4) Business, Money (not a high priority when you should easily be a billionaire well before your death)
5) Weather, retirement, family (can you imagine the weird/odd situations with a parent so famous (read: busy) & wealthy? I can't imagine how much he qualifies as "parent" ... more like wipes their ass in the summer a few times & cooks dinner never... hangs out ... mostly a friend who tells you how it's going to be. Family & friends do the actual parenting I'm sure. If she's a great woman, his wife does a lot but would be pretty natural & easy for her to delegate that.

Do I blame him/them? No... kind of how it has to be / or is.

I can't breathe...

Really? So someone as rich and famous as LBJ does not qualify as a "PARENT"... That is a stupid comment my man

[cheese318]

Translation: this jersey will look good for my "legacy." time to leave another franchise with bad contracts (but this time no chips*) in my wake.

Want to make a wager he wins a chip in LAL?

[chipchipperson]

Damn bruh, tell us how you really feel.

... some of us actually (are capable of) contribute(ing) to substantive discussion.

Whining about lebron going from one mediocre team to another isn't "contributing to substantive discussion",it's just mindless bitching.

[mg]

Lame.
Sounds to me he doesn't have compelling basketball reasons at all to go to the Lakers at this point which many of us already surmised by simply looking at their roster. It's a business move for him. Can't totally blame him as the Warriors look pretty much unbeatable for the time being. Pulling out the Magic/Laker championship history card for PR reasons just like he pulled the "going home" nonsense when he went back to Cleveland.

[CH Smoot]

Wow, this is complex. It's like there is more than one reason why he went to LA, as if multiple things factored into the decision. It's weird and hard to wrap your head around. So at the end of the day, I don't know, no beans.

[BallerTalk]

Yep, LeBron is coasting down.
LA represented the most convenient retirement plan for him and his other interests.
Can't be mad at him.

[ChokeFasncists]

B.S. ....

... I'm the same age as LeBron, and trust me, he couldn't have possibly looked up to Magic growing up... dude was obviously famous & well known, but the only way he watched him was highlights & reruns, which ...ah... weren't ... ah... all that easy to come across during those times. You may have since watched every game the guy played ... when you were anointed as the 2nd coming, rich as **** & tons of access, but you sure as **** are lying about idolizing him over MJ, Penny, Shaq, Reggie ... etc.

bull LBJ, bull. Like everything else that comes out this business's mouth. It's all PR phony bs. Guy is such a bitch. Why lie about everything? You can't be liked by everyone, can't you tell? You try so hard yet are still hated. Can't seem to piece the puzzle together.

Magic Johnson, someone I kinda like looked up to when I was younger

Here's why he did it:
1) Legacy - if he wins 3 titles in 3 towns, as their #1 ... that's gunna be special... he can craft the team around him as he sees fit in LAL ... Money & Solid young talent. It's unique. It's easier. Not doing anything unique, and certainly more difficult in CLE ... plus you don't give as much of 2-5 below.
2) Be a part of a team of legends, the Lakers... a club he will fit in with & love to chum it up with. A franchise made of people he respects, unlike CLE .. and not just contemporaries. More than one, just one man (Pat Riley, whom I imagine he doesn't exactly relate to ... definitely nothing like the likes of Lakers history).
3) Media (love/adornment by one of the most dominating sports franchise bases in the world) ... imagine, MOAR LEBRON! YAY!!!
4) Business, Money (not a high priority when you should easily be a billionaire well before your death)
5) Weather, retirement, family (can you imagine the weird/odd situations with a parent so famous (read: busy) & wealthy? I can't imagine how much he qualifies as "parent" ... more like wipes their ass in the summer a few times & cooks dinner never... hangs out ... mostly a friend who tells you how it's going to be. Family & friends do the actual parenting I'm sure. If she's a great woman, his wife does a lot but would be pretty natural & easy for her to delegate that.

Do I blame him/them? No... kind of how it has to be / or is.

I can't breathe...

Rumor has it that he wants to get involved with Hollywood.

[ryanball]

Nothing against him, but LeBron won't win titles there with that team. Even Ball becoming decent and Leonard joining would not be enough.

They'd need something in addition, along the lines of how Durant joined the Warriors. Which could very well happen in this age, Durant himself might even do it.

Maybe it will be interesting to see how the fans there react to him not winning though. They have a potential heel character with Lavar Ball, that could be fun.

Luke Walton is probably in for some abuse, because looking at the roster I don't see anyone else who could fill the scapegoat role like Kevin Love did.