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The NBA rumor mill often has a way of ratcheting up the pressure.
Basketball-related whispers, such as trade negotiations, intense coaching, or dissatisfaction within the team, can draw unwanted attention to the locker room.
However, the recent buzz surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers is different. If that sparks something in the locker room, it will be a victory lap.
That’s because the latest information about the Lakers, courtesy of ESPN’s Shams Charania on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show (h/t Lakers Nation), reveals that 39-year-old megastar LeBron James is not what most people think. The idea was that he might not be as close to retirement as he is now.
“I said on this show that after the (2023-24) season, I want to say at least two years,” Charania said. “Can he go three years? That’s possible, but when you think about two years, that’s this season and next season.”
This is just a rumor, but it feels like the ultimate stress reliever for this team.
Talk of retirement has been circulating around James for years. There was certainly reason to wonder if this would be his last try again.
When he signed his latest contract this summer, it only had one season guaranteed (with a $52.6 million player option for next season, according to Spotrac). And given the fact that he’ll be spending this season with his son Bronny James, you’d think James would make history as the league’s first father-son tandem and ride off into the proverbial sunset.
There’s not much left on his to-do list. He is already the league’s all-time leader in points, All-NBA selections and minutes played (including playoffs). He is a four-time MVP, four-time champion, and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He’s also one of the few players (absolutely the most) who is a realistic answer to the perennial GOAT debate.
If his magical journey were to end after this campaign, it would be hard to react other than to be grateful that we were there to witness it.
But for the Lakers, losing James means losing their status as a championship favorite. Sure, they may not be considered favorites, but it’s always easy to argue that they have a chance to be a puncher in any series because of the relationship between James and Anthony Davis.
Taking James out of the equation would kill LA’s title hopes. That’s why this team has operated (and still operates) in one of the association’s most extreme “win now” time frames.
To be clear, this latest rumor doesn’t completely change that. Even if James has plans to play beyond this season, the Lakers cannot act as if this is the case. His game may seem ageless, but Father Time will track him down one day. LA is in no position to take anything for granted.
However, this suggests that this is not an all-or-nothing type of campaign. Regardless of what happens with the Lakers this season, the club could be pretty good next season as well. And perhaps the same will be true for your next campaign.
That’s big. This is a big deal for JJ Redick, who began his coaching career as a steward of James’ age-40 season and entered the ultimate pressure cooker. This is huge for the young players on this roster who could get an additional opportunity to learn everything James has to teach them. This is a big deal for Davis, who had the potential to be a lone star after this season.
And this is objectively a great thing for the basketball world, expanding the opportunity to watch one of the greatest careers the game has ever seen.
Los Angeles looked like a force to be reckoned with on opening night, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves, who won 56 games last season and earned the No. 3 seed in the West. As it turns out, that power may not disappear anytime soon.
