LeBron James Emphatically Refutes Report of Why He Joined Lakers in 2018

Tom Dierberger | 2 Hours Ago

James is entering his seventh season with the Lakers. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Entering his seventh season with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James wanted to make it clear why he joined the franchise in the first place.

James logged onto social media on Saturday and denied a report that gave one of the reasons why he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with Los Angeles following the 2017-18 NBA season.

"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," ESPN's Ramona Shelburne wrote in a recent story. "James liked playing for an iconic franchise as much as he liked how it treated its iconic players."

James, however, disagreed.

🧢. 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”. 🤷🏾‍♂️ https://t.co/FsvTi5HqMU

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 5, 2024

James led the Lakers to the playoffs four times in his first six seasons with the franchise and secured the 17th championship in franchise history by winning the 2020 NBA Finals. In 2023-24, the Lakers fell short of reaching the second round of the playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons, however, getting bounced by the Denver Nuggets in five games.

James's intention of seeing his family blossom in Los Angeles has definitely come to fruition, as his son Bronny James was selected by the Lakers with the No. 55 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. The younger James made his preseason debut for Los Angeles on Friday night and logged two points and three blocks in 16 minutes.

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