LeBron James Links OKC Thunder to Future Ownership Plans

NBA superstar LeBron James may already have executives on his NBA wish list.

NBA superstar and mogul LeBron James has recently started a new podcast with former sharpshooter JJ Reddick — and while Mind the Game is focused on uplifting basketball in general — it’s already generating the sound bytes many thought it would.

There was talk of X’s and O’s, schemes and everything in between, but Oklahoma City got a quick mention from James for its drafting of late.

“I tell you, when I get my [NBA] team, the teams that draft well, those guys will be working for me for sure. OKC does an unbelievable job.”

“I tell you, when I get my (NBA) team. The teams that draft well, those guys will be working for me for sure… OKC does an unbelievable job.” - LeBron James on @mindthegamepod pic.twitter.com/MVinCzR6jf

— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) March 19, 2024

James was, of course, laughing through the comment — with it being off the tail-end of Reddick’s comments about teams consistently drafting well or poorly. But there’s likely some truth to the statement with James eventually entering NBA ownership.

The four-time champion hasn’t been silent about it, outright saying he’s looking forward to that era of his career down the line. More specifically, he’s wanting to do so in Las Vegas.

“You have the [NFL’s] Raiders here, you have the [NHL’s Golden] Knights here, you have the [WNBA’s] Aces here, you’ve got F1 coming very soon, All-Star Weekend has been here a few times, you’ve got the NBA Summer League that’s very popular — I think adding an NBA franchise here would just add to the momentum that’s going on in this town — I think it’s only a matter of time. And I hope I’m part of that time.”

The Thunder has amassed quite the NBA Draft reputation in it’s short 16-year tenure, selecting three former MVP’s in its initial run, and drafting the likes of Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and more recently.

Adding front office personnel from OKC has long been a strategy of other NBA teams league-wide, with former Thunder executives littering the league.

For now, it's an off-hand compliment from The King. But it could soon be reality when and if James lands an NBA squad.

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