Is LeBron James limiting his own future options?
Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Jared Greenberg of NBA TV to discuss the Lakers superstar’s most likely steps on the court in the next couple of years. Hear the full conversation on “Good Word with Goodwill” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
Better odds.
LeBron James owns an NBA team in the next three years, or is he still playing in three years?
Still playing in three years.
You think he's never gonna retire.
Why should he?
I mean, listen, he's really, still really good, right?
He's way better than the average NBA player, still at this point.
You know, we can argue, is he a first team all NBA player and an MVP type of player?
Is he the face of a franchise?
Can he be the best player on a championship team?
No, he can't be at this point, but he's still really, really freaking good and impactful.
I think he's had a fascinating point in his journey because he's still, like you said, nothing else, Jarrett.
He's a max player, right?
Let's just go beyond this year.
And let's say LeBron wants to play going into year twenty-four, going to his age forty-two season.
Who has a fifty million dollar salary slot waiting for him on a team that's worth a damn?
'Cause I don't see LeBron taking a pay cut at this stage of his life and his career.
Well, this is my problem with everything that happened this summer.
Is that LeBron wanted his cake.
And wanted to eat it too.
And to his credit, he's got every right.
To make those choices for himself.
It's just tough.
To argue that you wanna do what's best for the opportunity to win for your team if you're not letting go of some of the rope.
LeBron could have signed, essentially with any team, had he agreed to forgo this year on his contract and become a free agent.
And then signed a minimum deal with someone.
But whether it was a player union thing, whether it was an ego thing, whether it was a financial decision that, again, not our business, he elected to stay on the pay structure that kept him locked into only being on the Lakers at this point.
