Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is probably the most scrutinized athlete on the planet. Anything that he does that is slightly out of the ordinary is put under a microscope, dissected, and discussed for much longer than it’s supposed to be. The four-time NBA Champion gave the talking heads more ammunition with an innocuous moment after the Lakers’ 113-105 win over the New York Knicks.
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James draped himself in a Knicks towel as he headed back to the locker room after leading his team to victory with a 24-point performance at Madison Square Garden. The veteran guard also did an interview with the towel wrapped around his shoulder. He was seen dapping up Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin before entering the tunnel, but the focus was on the towel around his shoulders. Fans on X, formerly called Twitter, instantly began speculating that James was hinting at a move to New York.
One fan suggested that the four-time MVP has already lined up a deal for him and his son Bronny James, who is a freshman at USC and will be eligible to enter the NBA draft this year, to play in New York together for the Knicks, “Bron & Bronny to Knicks next yr.”
Speculation was rife about James’ departure from LA after his cryptic posts on X.
However, the posts turned out to be a brand deal with betting giant DraftKings. Moreover, MSG staff were seen handing out Knicks towels to every player after the game. So it was not unlikely for LeBron to have a Knicks towel on his shoulders.
However, these aren’t the only things suggesting that the King is set to exit the Lakers. Reporter David Pingalore, who got details about James’ movement in the past spot-on, posted that the Lakers superstar could be traded before the deadline on February 8th.
However, James’ agent, Rich Paul, shut down those rumors, telling NBA insider Brian Windhorst,
“LeBron won’t be traded, and we aren’t asking to be.”
For now, the superstar is reportedly staying in LA with the Lakers. However, speculations about his uncertain future with the franchise continues to brew.
LeBron James fans the flames of exit rumors
After Rich Paul shut the door on LeBron James’ potential exit from the Lakers, the superstar had the opportunity to do the same. However, he turned down the chance. He was asked whether he has decided to opt into the final year of his contract with the franchise, and he replied, “No.”
One journalist asked James about playing in MSG, and he was more elaborate in his response. He said,
“[MSG]’s the Mecca of basketball. It’s one of the most prestigious arenas to play in the history of sports. It’d be a great step forward and my career’s ultimate retreat.”
James’ future is aligned with his son Bronny’s plans. He has been clear that he wants to share the court with his eldest child before he retires. James can decline the player option in his contract and become a free agent this season. However, Bronny is likely to spend another year in college, so the expectation was that the four-time superstar would opt in and become a free agent in 2025. However, he’s clearly hinting that he could leave the Lakers in the offseason.
