LeBron James Needs To Get The Hell Away From The Los Angeles Lakers

It’s time for LeBron James to find his next team. And he likely knows that.

After an embarrassing Round 1 exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, it’s clear that the Lakers do not have a roster capable of competing in a stacked Western Conference. 

James will turn 40 during next season. He’s admitted to not having much time left. Entering his 22nd NBA season, it could be his last, and he needs to find a better place for a farewell tour.

Sure, the Lakers fired Darwin Ham. They could try to keep James happy by hiring his friend and podcast co-host JJ Redick, who does not have any coaching experience.

The Lakers could also draft Bronny James, which could be enticing for LeBron. However, in recent months, he has backed off his stance of wanting to play with his son. Instead, just wants Bronny in the best position possible, whether that’s in the NBA or NCAA.

It’s a new era in the Western Conference, and that’s likely what James understands. New superstars like Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are dominating the West in a similar fashion Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo showed promise in the East during LeBron’s last year with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron is no dummy. He’s done this for two decades. He knows that the cast of characters assembled in Hollywood can’t compete. Hell, his own team entertained the idea of trading him in order to plan for the future.
While some of the blame belongs to James, who emphatically pushed Lakers brass to make bold decisions in trades and free agency, Los Angeles does not have many assets to improve this subpar roster. Anthony Davis is 31 years old and somehow played 76 games, which is the most of his NBA career. He’s due for an injury. 

The thing about LeBron is, he’s not some washed up 40 year old athlete. 

His basketball IQ will allow him to stay relevant in any system at any age, even though he’s not as explosive. He averaged 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists during this last season with the Lakers. He’s still got some juice left, but he doesn’t have much left to prove.

As a pass-first player, James is also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He adds to that record, and countless others, on a nightly basis. The only thing left for James to prove is how insane this longevity run is.

It’s unlikely that James retires this season. Can you see the guy that tattoo’d “Chosen One” on his back stepping away from the limelight without a proper farewell tour? 

But here’s the thing. He also can’t go out sad. At 40 years old, he has some gas left in the tank, but the gas light is turning on soon like it did for Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowtiski. Don’t fall victim to the Lakers’ implied desire to draft Bronny. Don’t worry about this head coach hire.
Opt out of the contract and give NBA fans the most memorable farewell tour imaginable with a legitimate run to the NBA Finals.