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Rajon Rondo Explains Why Warriors Lost LeBron James Sweepstakes
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- Rajon Rondo Explains Why Warriors Lost LeBron James Sweepstakes
(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
LeBron James shook up the basketball world this offseason when he opted to leave the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons and sign with the Philadelphia 76ers .
LeBron had a number of teams interested in bringing him in as he's proven that he can still play and contribute at a high level, notably leading the Lakers to a first round playoff victory over the Houston Rockets .
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One team he was linked to from the moment his season ended in the second round to the Oklahoma City Thunder was the Golden State Warriors , with fans and pundits believing that he might link up with Steph Curry as the two greatest players of their generation chased one last championship.
Despite heavy interest from the Warriors, LeBron did not end up in the Bay.
Rajon Rondo Speaks
Appearing on the Road Trippin podcast , Rajon Rondo commented on LeBron's decision to join the 76ers.
"No disrespect to anybody but obviously Golden State, they are too old. LeBron James would have had to play too much, it would have been too much on his plate," he said.
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Rondo knows LeBron both as an opponent and a teammate. During LeBron's first run with the Cleveland Cavaliers , they battled Rondo and the Boston Celtics in memorable playoff games. In 2020, the two were teammates on the Lakers, which ended in championship glory.
Is Rondo Right?
The Warriors were definitely in LeBron's top eight teams, as evident by Rich Paul's whiteboard at the start of the offseason, and Paul would later state that the Warriors were one of the final four teams considered by LeBron.
Draymond Green publicly stated that he made a pitch to LeBron, who is a close friend of his.
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Rondo is right in pointing out the drawbacks of signing with the Warriors. They are one of the oldest teams in the league, and they have a high injury history with Curry , Kristaps Porzingis , and Jimmy Butler , who will miss the start of the year with an ACL injury.
LeBron left the Lakers to play competitive basketball, and the Warriors were not a playoff team last season. The addition of LeBron would have made them better, but if they make no other moves in the offseason, he would not have been enough to get them over the hump.
LeBron can still carry the offense for stretches, but there likely would've been too much on his shoulders at this stage to carry the Warriors if Curry also wasn't on the floor.
