The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most confusing teams in basketball. They have three of the biggest stars in the NBA, yet they don’t look like legitimate NBA Finals contenders. With LeBron James nearing the end of his career, his focus is simple: he wants to be on a team that can realistically compete for a championship.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
James has tried to find his rhythm within the offense at times this season. Some have suggested that he has had to change his game to accommodate Luka Dončić, but James made it clear that isn’t the case.
“Luka [Doncic] don't need to bend his game [for me]. Luka is our [26-year-old] franchise for this ball club. He don't need to bend his game. It's up to us to bend our game around him and figure it out,” James said.
Recently, on the Game Over Podcast, Paul discussed James’ potential retirement. He explained that the topic is not something he and his client talk about openly. Whether James returns or walks away remains unclear, but Paul made it clear he isn’t offering answers.
“Everyone is like ‘do the farewell tour it’s his last year’ this an that, I don’t know what it is, but I hope it’s not his last. I hope it’s not his last year. I don’t talk to him about it,” Paul said.
There is little doubt that the end of James’ career is approaching, whether that comes after this season or the next. However, it appears no one will know when that moment arrives until James himself decides. Retirement discussions seem to be kept private, shared only among those closest to him.
James is attempting to make things work in Los Angeles for what could be his final season. If it doesn’t go well, he may consider one last run elsewhere. Either way, his agent won’t be the one to reveal what comes next.