“Welcome LeBron James, now LA has a God and a King”: When Zlatan Ibrahimovic punked Lakers star, sending him his gifted jersey back with an autograph

Akash Murty | 17/05/2022
“Welcome LeBron James, now LA has a God and a King”: When Zlatan Ibrahimovic punked Lakers star, sending him his gifted jersey back with an autograph

LeBron James and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are not only two of the best players in their sport, but they are also similar in being highly self-centered. 

There’s only one Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the world, nobody is a bit like the Swedish talisman who is much more than a sensational striker on a football field. 

The 40-year-old has won 11 league titles across four different nations in Europe – Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and France.  But he is as famous for his speaking skills as his footballing skills. 

He might not be the GOAT of the game or even the top-10 of all time, but anyone who follows football for the past two decades knows Zlatan truly believes he is one.

Also read: “Vince Carter, Zach Lavine, Nique and ME!”: LeBron James disregards Michael Jordan in his all-time dunk contest roster

Most of them thought that the former Barcelona number 9 will call it a day after he spent 2-years in Manchester United between 2016-18 and had trouble with injuries having gone past the 34-year mark which generally used to be the age for retirement for a professional footballer. 

He did call it a day in Europe but went to the United States to embrace the MLS which had the pleasure to have only a few players of his stature. And where did the former Paris Saint Germain forward land? Los Angeles California. 

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovich punked LeBron James like no one in the NBA ever did

Call it coincidence or a pattern, Zlatan always played for the franchises in the best cities of every country he laid his foot on. And so, when he came to the States he chose to play for LA Galaxy. And obviously, he did it with a bang both on and off the field.



It was the same year LeBron James took his talents from the Cavaliers to the Lakers after a few months of Ibra’s arrival. And guess how Zlatan welcomed him to LA? By saying something in his own narcissistic and at the same time hilarious way. 

 

Not only that, he did that after he sent the then 3x NBA champ and 4x MVP autographed Lakers jersey, which LBJ had himself sent him as a welcome gift. 

 

Although James didn’t indulge in any drama Zlatan would’ve expected out of it, the ever-so-young 40-year-old again took a shot at the NBA juggernaut last year, telling him to stay away from politics.

Also read: “LeBron James is the closest thing to Magic Johnson because of everything he can do”: When Pat Riley drew comparisons between The King and his pick for the “GOAT”

Zlatan might not like LeBron very much, but their fitness and dominance in their game at their age are unique in both their sports, which will always have their names tied to each other. 

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
LA Lakers LeBron James Los Angeles Zlatan Ibrahimovic

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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