LeBron James recently sat down with ESPN's Rachel Nichols for wide-ranging interview, in which the four-time NBA MVP discussed the opening of his I Promise School in Ohio, politics, and, of course, his decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Speaking of the latter, LeBron told Nichols he weighed the pros and cons of several potential landing spots, including Philadelphia and Houston.
"I definitely thought long and hard about the possibilities of lining up alongside Ben [Simmons] and [Joel] Embiid or lining up aside [James] Harden and Chris [Paul],'' he said, per ESPN.
When it came time to make a decision, LeBron said he relied on his family's input more than anybody, and ultimately felt L.A. was the best move for the #JamesGang. Last season, the Lakers finished with a 35-47 record but LeBron doesn't view the upcoming season as a "rebuilding year" and he is pleased with the moves Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson made in the off-season.
"I like the challenge of being able to help a team get to places that they haven't been in quite a while," James said. "And obviously the Lakers haven't made the playoffs in a few years, but the Lakers organization and historical franchise matches up there with all the greats. You can look at the Cowboys and you can look at the Patriots, you can look at Manchester United, the Boston Celtics -- these are like historical franchises. And for me to be a part of that, I think it's a great move not only for me but for my family and for the history of basketball in general."
"At the end of the day, guys that love to play ball, and that's what they do every single day, I love that. I love that, and I think [Rob] Pelinka and Magic [Johnson] love that as well, and that's why they made the signings. And bringing Lance and JaVale and Beas and Rondo, they're guys that every day that they wake up, they think about the game of basketball. And everything else is secondary."
Check out some of LeBron's interview with Rachel Nichols in the video embedded below.