It was just over six years ago in July 2018, that LeBron James decided to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Many speculated the reasons behind LeBron joining the Lakers, who had struggled massively in the years before his arrival, and NBA insider Ramona Shelburne is now reporting that the way the franchise treated Kobe Bryant played a part in his decision.
“Part of the reason James came to the Lakers as a free agent in 2018 is the standard of care they showed during the final seasons of Bryant’s career a decade ago, sources said,” Shelburne wrote. “James liked playing for an iconic franchise as much as he liked how it treated its iconic players.”
There is a lot that you can criticize the Lakers’ top brass for, but if there is one thing they cannot be accused of, it’s not taking care of their iconic players. They have always done it and Bryant was a great example of that.
Kobe tore his Achilles in April 2013 when he was 34 years old and everyone knew he was going to be a shadow of his former self moving forward. Despite that, the Lakers gave him a two-year, $48.5 million deal in November of that year. Was it a bad idea? Absolutely and things went about as badly as you’d expect.
Bryant only played in 107 games over three seasons after signing that deal and averaged 18.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.2 blocks. He struggled to stay on the court and eventually had to walk away from the game in 2016.
On paper, that two-year deal was a terrible one for the Lakers but I’m guessing they would do it all over again if given the opportunity. It’s just how they do business and it’s why stars like LeBron look at them as a good landing spot. They know the team would take care of them even if their play dipped.
Fortunately, James’ play hasn’t really dipped, so the Lakers had no hesitation whatsoever in giving him a two-year, $101.36 million deal this offseason. The 39-year-old averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2023-24. There is a lot of gas left in that tank and I am sure LeBron would be worth all the money the Lakers are going to be paying him.
There is one aspect, though, in which LeBron has seen a change from how the Lakers treated Bryant in his final seasons. They completely failed to surround Kobe with a talented supporting cast and that ensured his last years were spent on woeful teams.
While LeBron certainly could use some more help around him, his situation is still far better than the one Kobe found himself in. James has a co-star next to him in Anthony Davis and some solid role players like Austin Reaves too.
The problem, though, is that the Lakers don’t seem good enough at this point to be serious title contenders. They should make the playoffs, but I don’t see this team making a very deep run in the postseason. The only way that changes and LeBron potentially wins his second title with the Lakers is if they manage to pull off a significant trade.