There are some question marks around the future of NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James as his career reaches the last furlong.
With James’ hefty salary number and the Los Angeles Lakers building around Luka Dončić, there has been some question as to whether or not the Lakers may offer James a buyout so that he can pursue one last championship elsewhere. Rich Paul added to that speculation himself when he said earlier this summer, “We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career.”
On his Road Trippin podcast with Allie Clifton and former Cavs teammate Channing Frye, lead ESPN on NBA analyst Richard Jefferson opened up about the possibility of James getting a buyout from the Lakers and perhaps linking up with his former team in Cleveland once again. When looking at a pathway to the title and the best roster, the Cleveland Cavaliers probably represent LeBron’s last best shot at another championship.
But when asked about the situation and whether there would be any cons for new teammates linking up with LeBron James, Richard Jefferson didn’t hold back and paid James the ultimate compliment.
“Playing with LeBron sucks because you’re trying to win a championship,” Jefferson said. He is one of the most competitive human beings in the history of American sports and sports in general. Does it suck when you’re showing up and he’s already been practicing for four hours and you’re like ‘oh s—.’ When he’s watching film and you mess up a play and he’s just like, ‘motherf—er what are you doing?'”
“And it’s like yea, those are the cons. But there were cons for playing with Jordan, there were cons for playing with Kobe, there were cons playing with players that were so great that they demanded excellence. There were cons for playing for Pat Riley or Popovich or Spoelstra. There’s always cons when you’re trying to win at the highest level,” he added.
It’s fascinating to hear these quotes from Richard Jefferson because we hardly ever hear about James’ desire to win or his work ethic or what he demands of teammates. Michael Jordan was legendary for finding reasons to get upset at others or push teammates to the brink with his win-at-all-costs mentality. With LeBron, the conversation has always revolved around something else, usually from a more critical point of view in spite of everything he has accomplished over his career on and off the court.
As to whether any new teammates might get to experience that pressure cooker of playing with LeBron James, there have been no further indications that he or the Lakers might look to make a move. But just the possibility of a new destination for one of the GOATs has certainly given more life to the NBA offseason discussion.