It’s official now.
LeBron James’ management team, led by his former teammate Maverick Carter, has officially announced that his decision on which team he picks as a free agent this summer will be based entirely on the opportunity to win championships.
Money will not be an issue for LeBron James. Repeat, money will not be an issue.
That should be great news for the Los Angeles Lakers, because no team has had success over the past decade like the guys in Forum Blue and Gold and their coach, Phil Jackson.
Nothing more dramatically points out just how badly team owner Jerry Buss needs to dispense with all this drama about Jackson’s status.
Not only does James badly want to join a winning organization, but he sorely needs a coach who will not hesitate to coach him.
PJ will not hesitate to coach him. Only a person like “ten rings,” as he is called in Lakers online circles, can truly stand up to James and coach him like any supremely talented player needs to be coached.
Critics have long crowed that the main reason Jackson has always won is that he has always coached the best.
Well, here’s the bare and harsh truth. There are so many ass kissers and uncertain creatures populating the ranks of coaching and management today in the NBA that it’s hard to find someone who can do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said.
Jackson is that rare guy who can coach a superstar. It is the bedrock of Jackson’s rare and special ability.
Tex Winter was a retired college coach with a great career record when he came to the Chicago Bulls in 1985 to help coach a young Michael Jordan. Winter, who has never backed down from aggressively coaching stars and role players alike, once told me how intimidated he felt the first time he watched Jordan in practice.
Once he got over that sense of intimidation, Winter was the kind of guy who wouldn’t hesitate to get on Jordan about any little detail, from fundamentals like his chest passing to team things like ball movement. Winter often spoke of how he admired Jackson’s ability to work with and coach the game’s very best. In that sense, Jackson and Winter used to feed off each other. That’s what made them so special. They actually coached the superstars.
But the NBA is a players’ league and its best players, especially the elite players like James, have long intimidated those around them. That’s why their coaching staffs become coddlers and their personal managers become Yes Men.
LeBron James is on just such an island right now. He’s 25 and has just come off the most disastrous season of his career. He must make an excellent choice as a free agent. Very much is as stake. He and Carter know that they face wasting his immense talent if they have many more seasons like 2010.
All of which means Lakers owner Jerry Buss needs to drop the mind games he is playing with Jackson and offer the coach the contract he deserves. If he can’t offer a contract immediately, Buss could still quell all the media speculation by reassuring Jackson and Lakers fans that the coach will be welcomed and rewarded for his work.
There has been talk that Buss wants Jackson to take a substantial pay cut from his humongous $12 million a year salary. Jackson has already indicated he’ll make concessions.
These two giant egos — coach and owner — need to settle their differences so that the Lakers can compete for James. Signing such a player would obviously secure the franchise’s future.
Yes, the Lakers are about to return to the NBA Finals for a highly challenging series against the Boston Celtics.
But the future is now for Buss as well as it is for LeBron James. Lakers fans can only hope the owner is too smart to let his cool relationship with Jackson get in the way of securing a once-in-a-lifetime player like James.
Buss already has a once-in-a-lifetime coach. Perhaps the team owner will wake up during these playoffs and realize that.
Roland Lazenby is the author of Jerry West, The Life And Legend Of A Basketball Icon, recently released by ESPN Books.
14 Comments
Many in the media have speculated that Kobe would never allow Lebron to come to the Lakers. But if you stop and think about it this is the ultimate chess move for Kobe. (1) In the short term he wins the Kobe/Lebron debate since Lebron would basically be saying can’t beat em join them. (2) It would validate all his previous assertions that he only cares about rings. (3) I think it would allow him to extend the prime of his career (assuming Barkley is wrong and it already hasn’t passed). (4) It would also give less ammunition to those who still believe he was responsible for running off Shaq since he would be allowing another Alpha Dog on the team. (5) I have heard many speculate that ripping Kareem’s scoring record is Kobe’s ultimate goal. I disagree I think most of all Kobe wants 8 rings which would be one more than Robert Horry and give me the most by any non-Celtic. And knowing Kobe, his thought is going to be if I can get to 8 why not 11 and tie Russell. Crazy as it sounds Lebron gives him an outside shot.
As Kobe told me in a private moment more than a decade ago, “I just want to be the man.”
Being the man encompasses all of the above, Brian, as you well know.
He has always been immensely ambitious. He wants it all. To be the greatest ever. Which in itself would make for a great blog. Thanks for the discussion. It prompted the idea.
i think this is fool’s gold. How does Lebron being on the Lakers makes Kobe the man? they are both alpha dogs and having to such players on the team is not good. I doubt Lebron would come to play with kobe for a 1 year mid level contract.
On the other hand, I do think Buss is making a mistake on not signing Jackson to an extension. Either that, or Buss is trying to get a commitment for more than 1 year from jackson because maybe he doesn’t like the whole Brett Favre “every year” thing.
@JackF – for precisely the reason that Brian has posted. If James joined the Lakers, it’s a CLEAR message that James considers the Lakers his best way to a ring. And who is the undisputed leader of this Lakers team?
But, I simply don’t see this working out. How will the Lakers accommodate James’ contract? Unless he signs for the $5MM/annum veteran minimum slot, how else can he join the team? Or is Roland implying (certainly don’t see a case in the blog post) that the Lakers ought to gut the team to work out a sign and trade to get James (in the belief that the Cavs will want some value back for James rather than simply letting him walk.) In that scenario, who would the Lakers package? Bynum doesn’t make enough money, a Bynum/Odom package probably would work but would James then play the 4 spot on the Lakers?
This line of thinking is about as facetious as the new Nets owner proclaiming that the Nets will win a championship in 5 years. Maybe he’s been hanging out with Abramovich at Chelsea games too much but unlike the Premier League, the NBA has a salary cap.
Fool’s gold it may be, but the Lakers never got anywhere by discounting an option before making the full effort. Make the full effort with LeBron, and that begins with re-signing Phil.
LeBron and Kobe will get along like rice and beans.
By the way, just to add onto my previous comment, the only person that needs to take heed is James. If he truly says that money is not the key, winning is, then he would take it on himself to sign with the Lakers for the veteran’s minimum, after all, why would he wish to dilute the talent level of the team that he wants to join?
Greg,
The coaching is key here. Commitment to Phil is key for luring James or any other free agents.
Buss never got anywhere by thinking small. Thinking LeBron is thinking large.
Roland
Roland – agreed 100%, I think that the best thing for the Lakers to do would be to have Jackson return whether they win this year or not as I don’t see any great messiahs waiting in the wings. That said, and maybe it’s because I just read the Adande article on ESPN but I don’t see (I guess other than the Russian dude in the swamps of New Jersey) anybody lining up to give Phil Jackson $12MM/annum to coach next year. The company line that’s been trotted out the past couple of days is that Jackson will need to take a pay cut next year and from the dailies (I think it’s Ding of the OC Register) it seems like Jackson is mostly on board with that.
Anyone remember the 2008 Olympics?? Being the best isn’t about how high you jump or fast you run … its about how honed your skills are, your fundamentals, your ability to be a jack of all trades in any situation…. so Kobe might not have the highest score or assist numbers…. but until Lebron GREATLY improves his repetoire and arsenal on offense, his fundamentals on both sides of the ball, and improves his perimeter D as opposed to cherry picking …. Kobe is the true king to anyone who really enjoys a well played game of basketball. And you don’t have to believe me, watch the gold medal game against Spain and tell me who the “superstars” all ran to when the win was in danger? The best player in the game, by a WIDE margin….and PS, D-Wade is #2…. Speaking of which, why doesn’t anyone recognize Oscar Robertson for his greatness and numbers in an era without a 3 point line and a much more stringent assist rule?
Now I know why ESPN has turned into Lebron watch 2010. Look at the amount of interest your column is generating today by the mere mention of “The King.”
What Raj said.
As for the posts, they’re great fun. But I can’t do this everyday. Would never get any work done.
You guys and your observations are great fun.
Roland,
To the state the obvious, you may eventually be wrong about LBJ signing with the Lakers, but your rationale is absolutely sound. If we take LBJ at his word, the Lakers are the perfect fit for LBJ IF the Lakers retain Phil Jackson.
All the other situations do not present a coach of Phil’s established greatness and magnitude. Do you believe that Clev, in the face of LBJ telling them to a certainty that he is leaving, would take a deal of Bynum + Sasha (or if need be, Artest)? It may be the best way for Clev to have some future pieces and not be completely wiped out with respect to talent. Great article.
No response needed Roland. Can’t wait for you to write your piece on Kobe. In the meantime here’s my two cents:
I tend to think of Kobe’s career in four different stages:
Kobe 1.0 (1996-1999): Bulletproof (Utah Airballs), unbridled enthusiasm/athleticism (Pre-Season Dunk on Ben Wallace), foolishness (breaks wrist playing pick-up game in Venice), Waves off Malone in All-Star game, Pre-PJ.
Kobe 2.0 (2000-2004): 3 Titles (Shaq lob, Pacers OT Game, Sac Game 7), body & game mature, PJ, Colorado Incident, Shaq feud, PJ’s book “The Last Season.”
Kobe 3.0 (2005-2008): PJ & Shaq leave, Rudy T, Miss playoffs, Rock bottom, It’s lonely being the man, Phil’s back, Smush-Kwame-Mihm-Atkins-Cook, 62pts in 3 quarters, 81pts in a game, Bynum Phone Incident, Goes bi-polar in May ’07 for a week, Gasol, MVP, Championship run ’08, Humbling Game 6 loss to Celts, Artest naked in shower, Kobe tell me how my ass tastes Shaq rap.
Kobe 4.0 (2009-Present): Champion sans Shaq, Finals MVP, when you watch him play it’s like watching a Maestro conducting an orchestra, 2010 Championship?
I absolutely believe Kobe 1.0-3.0 was about being the man first, championships second. But I truly believe Kobe 4.0 is all about rings because of the road he had to travel. And there is a clip in ESPN’s The Association where Kobe basically says to Lamar, “You win a championship and that is something that can never be voted away from you.” This statement says a lot. Kobe knows he is a polarizing figure and isn’t going to win the beauty pageant. But a ring isn’t something that is won in the court of public opinion it’s won on the actual court. And that is why now I think he is all about the Ring. Of course with all things Kobe, you never know.
Brian,
Not much to argue with there, because “being the man” is a young man’s articulation.
David,
Just what LA would give up could be the rub. But the power is all LeBron’s.
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