LeBron James Thwarts Rumor: Did Not Join Lakers Because of How Kobe Bryant was Treated

LeBron James is in a mood to quash the rumors around him. On X, he responded to the claim that he joined the LA Lakers in 2018 because of the franchise’s terrific treatment of Kobe Bryant during his final years. ESPN author Ramone Shelburne wrote how the Lakers didn’t disregard Kobe Bryant during his last three seasons despite his persistent injury shoes.

They won a combined 65 games during the time, however, the Lakers never made Bryant a scapegoat for their troubles and treated him with utmost respect. Shelburne wrote,

“Part of the reason James came to the Lakers as a free agent in 2018 is the standard of care they showed during the final seasons of Bryant’s career a decade ago, sources said”

On X, James cleared that it wasn’t the case at all. He joined the franchise to help them recover their glorious spirit after a long rebuild during Bryant’s last few years. Apart from that, he wanted to explore the LA lifestyle with his family. He wrote,

“I came to the Lakers cause I wanted to help Jeanie win championships, bring that Spark back to the Lakers and see my family blossom in SoCal. Why would I make a decision on how someone else is treated. Mama always said “Stay out of grown folks business.”

Thus, LBJ’s decision to join the Lakers wasn’t influenced by how they treated Bryant during his final injury-riddled years. It was more of a personal decision to restore the Lakers’ legacy and help his family reap the fruits of the LA market.

LeBron James has fulfilled his purpose to join the Lakers admirably

Thanks to LBJ, the interest in the Lakers market has reinvigorated after a painful rebuild. He helped the Lakers break their championship funk in 2020 alongside Anthony Davis. It was their first championship in a decade, and they now sit at 17 championships, just one behind perennial rivals Celtics.

On the other hand, his sons Bronny James and Bryce James have built a strong NIL presence in the LA marketplace. In fact, the 39-year-old also ensured that Bronny James gets drafted by the Lakers and is relishing the dream of playing alongside his kid. Their pairing has also added more intrigue towards the franchise.

Apart from that, while Bryant started declining at age 34, James continues to be one of the best players in the league at 39. Thus, his situation is way different than Bryant who struggled to remain on the floor at the tail-end of his career.