LeBron James has the ability to turn teams into contenders and that's exactly what he did with the Los Angeles Lakers. When he signed with the team in 2018, the Lakers were in a bad place as they were filled to the brim with rookies who hadn't figured it out yet. In his first season with the squad, they missed the playoffs due to injuries. The following season, LeBron and Anthony Davis led the team to its first title since 2010, and it left fans hoping that LeBron would retire in the purple and gold.
Recently, LeBron was on the "Smartless" podcast hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes. During the conversation, LeBron spoke about a whole host of topics, including his career with the Lakers and what his plans are moving forward. As the four-time champion explained, his contract is set to expire in 2023, however, he fully intends on retiring with the franchise.
Future With The Lakers">Christian Petersen/Getty Images
“I truly hope that I can finish my career with the Lakers. However many years that is, if it’s four, five, six, whatever, seven, I hope I can continue to play the game,” LeBron said. “I love being in L.A., my family loves being in L.A. Being with a historical franchise like the Lakers is something... It’s like me being in “Space Jam” — I never thought it would be possible. You think about Kareem, and Magic, and Wilt, and Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, Kobe, Shaq and all of them, the whole list goes on.”
This should be music to the ears of Lakers fans as this means LeBron won't be going anywhere, even when things get tough. LeBron will be turning 37 in the middle of next season although, despite this, he still looks like he can be the best player in the league. His longevity is impressive and it will be interesting to see if he can win more titles with the team.
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[Via]