In recent days, there has been lots of speculation about whether LeBron James may have a sincere desire to leave the Los Angeles Lakers.
On Friday night, he gave an answer that may be encouraging to the team’s fan base.
LeBron asked about his level of confidence that the Lakers can put a championship roster around him moving forward: “Very confident … They’ve done that.”
He added later:
“I see myself being with the Purple and Gold as long as I can play.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 26, 2022
The Lakers lost an ugly contest on Friday to the Los Angeles Clippers, 105-102, after a slew of miscues and botched offensive possessions. James had one of his worst outings of the season, shooting just 6-of-18 from the field and committing six turnovers.
The team now has a 27-32 record, a far cry from where it expected to be at this point of the season.
With the Lakers barely holding on to the ninth seed in the Western Conference, there have been multiple reports that James and his agency, Klutch Sports, are at odds with the team’s front office.
In fact, one source close to the team even compared it to “the early days of a war.”
It has led many to surmise that the four-time MVP could leave L.A. when his contract expires after next season, and some are even saying that the Lakers could or should trade him this summer.
On the other hand, NBA insider Shams Charania has also said that, as far as he knows, James’ plan is to stay with the Purple and Gold for the “foreseeable future.”
One way or another, the Lakers as an organization will be under the gun for the next handful of months until it either returns to championship contention or loses James for good.
