Celtics Legend Makes Controversial Statement on LeBron James to Warriors Trade Rumor
![Jan 27, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (left) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (right) greet each other after the game at Chase Center. Jan 27, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (left) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (right) greet each other after the game at Chase Center.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6102,h_3432,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_warriors/01j5xm97etf3sk5myxr0.jpg)
It was reported by ESPN prior to last season's trade deadline that the Golden State Warriors contacted the Los Angeles Lakers about the possibility of a LeBron James trade. There were reportedly owner-to-owner discussions about a potential deal, and the Lakers essentially deferred to James himself.
With the NBA's all-time leading scorer not wanting to leave Los Angeles, trade talks did not very far between the Lakers and Warriors. That said, the initial report is still being discussed, as additional information was recently revealed.
A recent article from NBA insider Marc Stein via his Substack revealed that James' agent Rich Paul was involved in shutting down these trade talks.
REPORT: Rich Paul reportedly “implored the Warriors and Lakers to scrap the idea” of trading LeBron James to the Warriors last season, “largely because he wanted to insulate James from potential backlash over switching teams for the 4th time in his career.”
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 18, 2024
(via @TheSteinLine) pic.twitter.com/aobh6xugf4
During a recent episode of KG Certified, Boston Celtics and NBA legend Kevin Garnett compared James joining the Warriors to Shaquille O'Neal joining the Celtics at the end of his career.
"We played with Shaq," Garnett said. "I don’t care what’s going on. Shaq was older, but he was still Shaq. If he didn’t get hurt, we would’ve won. He did enough for us. His presence... It doesn’t even matter, it’s the effect of Bron… If he can still lay the ball up, if he can still be in the layup line, if he can still put the jersey on… It’s always active."
Superstar presence demands superstar attention, at any age.
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) August 20, 2024
If Rich Paul didn’t reportedly squash trade talks, are the Warriors + LeBron instant #NBA title contenders? pic.twitter.com/ksDFa0TIPo
O'Neal averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 37 games with Boston. While he was effective, James is at a much higher level right now than O'Neal was in the 2010-11 season.
Related Articles
Draymond Green's Reaction to Steph Curry's Incredible Shot in USA-France Goes Viral
Boston Celtics Legend Slams Steve Kerr for Controversial Jayson Tatum Decision
Caitlin Clark's Two-Word Reaction to Steph Curry's Performance in USA-France