If LeBron James decides to move to Los Angeles, there’s no way he would choose the Clippers as his new team this off-season.
He wouldn’t go there to be part of a side act, says a basketball source who has known James well and worked with him since childhood. “And the Clippers are definitely a side act.
“He loves being a part of the show,” says the source. “And in L.A., that’s the Lakers. They’re the main show.”
James absolutely loves the California lifestyle, and if he were to make a move away from the Cleveland Cavaliers, California is the place he’d most likely want to go, the source said. He wouldn’t have to be a savior for the Lakers, wouldn’t have to inhabit the fishbowl lifestyle that he does elsewhere. He certainly would face less pressure in L.A. than in New York or even Cleveland.
Still, James will likely remain a Cav for next season, simply because the odds seem to grow daily making the Cavaliers the favorite to win an NBA title this June.
Last year, after Cleveland lost to Orlando in the playoffs, veteran Orlando assistant coach Brendan Malone said it was obvious that the Cavs needed scoring help from the forward position. They have that help now, with GM Danny Ferry’s acquisition of Antawn Jamison in February.
Another key question mark will be the health of veteran center Shaquille O’Neal. If O’Neal can overcome his thumb injury to return to the Cavs roster for the playoffs, the Cavs have size in O’Neal and backup center Zydrunas Ilgauskas to match up with the Lakers, should both teams reach the championship round.
If somehow, the Cavs reach the NBA Finals against the Lakers and lose, there’s little chance that James would try to force a trade to the Lakers. As much as James might want to be a Laker, that scenario would simply not be acceptable, the source said.
What scenario might bring James to the purple and gold? If both the Lakers and the Cavs lost in the playoffs, that might open a situation where James would aggressively attempt to force such a trade.
That, of course, would mean the failure of the two teams with the best record in each conference. Playing for the Lakers would be James’ ideal scenario, the source said, but only that narrow set of circumstances would make it feasible.
Those who have taken exception to my reports that James has quietly explored his Lakers option through an entertainment agent have cited salary cap issues as the obstacle to such a scenario.
Actually, James is a player with tremendous power. The main obstacle to such a move will be what happens on the court, as it should be.
Still, it’s interesting to ponder the result. How would James fit with Lakers star Kobe Bryant? Would there be enough basketballs for the two of them?
James would have no problem deferring to Bryant, said the source. “LeBron has no problem deferring if the player he’s deferring to is worthy.” The best proof of that lies in their Olympic play together.
One issue might be getting James to fit his game into the triangle offense run by Lakers coach Phil Jackson, even though James and Jackson are said to have high regard for each other.
James, however, would be a dangerous wing in the triangle, playing behind the defense much as Michael Jordan did in Chicago. The triangle seeks to create an imbalance by “filling the corner” on the strong side with a great shooter, which would leave James facing four-on-four from the weak side, with the defense spread out.
Good ball movement would mean James could find nice lanes to the basket.
Oh, well. L.A. is sort of a fantasy for James, one that would require certain developments. Still, stranger things have happened in the NBA, and the league is headed for a very strange off-season.
MORE TRIANGLE NOTES
What did the Lakers learn about the triangle offense during Kobe Bryant’s recent injury time? I posed that question to center Pau Gasol.
Without Bryant, the team got a different view of the triangle and more opportunity to explore options, he replied. “We can search more into it.”
And learn different things. “The ball moves a little more,” Gasol said, echoing a frequent complaint that triangle guru Tex Winter used to make about Bryant. “We can search more through the triangle and we can get more options. It’s made for that.”
Gasol acknowledged that the team has a different relationship with the triangle this season, mainly because of new teammate Ron Artest.
“Ron is trying to figure out the triangle and where to be on the court and how to have an effect offensively,” Gasol remarked. “Little by little he’s getting there, and he’s doing a good job.”
THE SIMPLE MAN
For years now, Spurs center Tim Duncan has been a favorite of many of the NBA’s legends and retired greats such as 11-time Celtics champion Bill Russell.
“I had a nice little interview with Bill Russell, and he’s always told me that he’s a big fan of mine,” Duncan said. “That’s an incredible honor to hear that from someone like Bill Russell. That’s the main guy.”
Why do the legends prize his game so much, I asked Duncan. “Probably just the simplicity of my game,” he said. “I’ve been blessed to win four championships over the years with that simplicity. I hope that’s it.”
MAGIC
Magic Johnson continues to rave about the play of Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant. I asked Durant about the props. “I’ve met Magic a couple of times,” he said, “and I really admire how much he loves the game. You can see it in how he speaks, how he carries himself when he talks about basketball… You watch old tapes of him, he’s always smiling and he’s always competitive. Hopefully, I’ll live up to that.”
Roland Lazenby is the author of Jerry West, The Life And Legend Of A Basketball Icon, recently released by ESPN Books.
8 Comments
Lebron isn’t goin to LA. He’s stayin with the Cavs. I mean seriously, the Cavs are probably the pick to win it all,and even if they don’t, look at the past three seasons:2007:finals.2008:lost in Semis to eventual Finals champs.2009:Lost in ECF.2010:probably Finals
Lebron isn’t goin to LA.In fact,he probably ain’t goin anywhere. He’s stayin with the Cavs. I mean seriously, the Cavs are probably the pick to win it all,and even if they don’t, look at the past three seasons:2007:finals.2008:lost in Semis to eventual Finals champs.2009:Lost in ECF.2010:probably Finals
Man imagine if the lakers did have lebron that would he one helluva team obviously though if the collision occurs between la and cle this summer than if lebron jumps ship it’ll look really bad as if he joined a team and he really didn’t contribute to a ring it’s almost like a cheaply earned ring he should sign a short three year deal with the cabs and than see what the options are maybe the teams like knicks nets and others will have gotten better
Roland–
While I admire your courage in writing an article so quickly after facing such criticism for a similar one, the criticism still stands. What is the point of writing about something that has such a small chance of happening? If this were a piece on how the Lakers would fit with LeBron, that would be different. Unfortunately, it seems like a wrap-around article devoting little time to each aspect regarding the scenario.
I think you would agree that the article is primarily about LeBron wanting to be a Laker.
Well, here is the evidence:
•The Lakers are the best NBA team in Los Angeles
•LeBron likes the California lifestyle and would love to be here if he leaves Cleveland
•LeBron would not have to be in a fishbowl lifestyle
•LeBron would face less pressure in Los Angeles.
I just don’t understand the purpose of writing about an event that is so unlikely (yet intriguing and sure to get you page hits)…apart from generating publicity for a recently released book whose front cover appears on the same webpage as the article.
Why would anyone assume that Kobe would still be on the team? If LaBron comes in (in exchange for Bynum, Artest and Farmar, e.g.) no way is Buss going to pay two max salaries. Kobe doesn’t get re-signed.
If I were Kobe, I’d sign that extension before the end of the season.
Aqzi,
I have no idea what number of hits my pages draw. I don’t get paid by the hit. In fact, if you’ve noticed there are no ads on my page. I don’t get paid for blogging at all here at lakernoise. I write about it because I am intrigued by it, because LeBron is exploring it.
A few years back, I intervied T-Mac while he was in China on a shoe promotion trip. A few weeks later, a man managing a billion dollar shoe investment fund paid me $300 to interview me for one hour. He wanted to ask me what I knew about the shoe business. He phoned me from Mumbai, India, where he was studying Indian basketball leagues. He was trying to figure out how many shoes would be selling worldwide in 2012. He didn’t learn much from me, but I learned a lot from him.
In the past, people could wait until an event happened and then report about it. But in this rapidly evolving age, and probably always, the truly valuable information is that which can help us anticipate what happens next. So that we can adjust. As I tell my students at Virginia Tech, we have to begin reporting about tomorrow. It’s hard to see perfectly into the future, but we have to try.
A few weeks back I was interviewing one of my regular sources on another subject when he started telling me about his visiting with an agent who was feeling out the Lakers situation for LeBron. The source went to some length to detail his discussion. I found it fascinating and still do. That’s all. Where LeBron goes or doesn’t go is going to have a major impact on the future of the league. The powers that be in the NBA are quite concerned and consumed with it. Teams are dumping rosters in hopes of courting him at the dance. Where does he really want to go?
The Lakers are high on his list. How realistic are they? Developments, and only developments, will reveal that.
All the best,
RL
Aqzi,
One other thing I overlooked in my answer to your question. This type of article does not sell Jerry West books. There are no instructions on this page about buying books. Yes, if you click on one of the covers you can go to amazon, but that’s not even mentioned in the process.
If anything, this type of article hurts book sales. I’ve received strong reviews for my Jerry West book. That, frankly, is what sells books, not my blog.
This is an independent blog, not affiliated with any other media. It is not an advertising vehicle. Like any other such blog, it is here merely to afford me the opportunity for self expression. If you feel manipulated, I encourage you to do what all other consumers do in such circumstances. Vote with your feet and don’t come back.
On the other hand, if you find my writing reflects my fiercely independent nature, then feel free to stick around.
Either way, I sincerely hope nobody’s twisting your arm.
All the best,
RL
Like Howard Beck at the NYT tweeted: “Dear Cavs fans: Mentioning LeBron’s free agency is not the same as predicting he will leave, or rooting for him to leave. That is all.”