There was no tearful farewell speech or press conference at Staples Center. On June 30, LeBron James told the Los Angeles Lakers via his agent, Rich Paul, that he was done. It was a straightforward, uncomplicated, and drama-free statement. That pretty much sums up the state of affairs between LeBron and the team.
There are eight seasons. Just one title. And an exit that seemed to have been building for longer than anyone in the Lakers organization would have liked to acknowledge in retrospect.
In its most basic form, the story is as follows: LeBron felt uneasy being the third choice. However, there are more layers to the larger picture, and it’s worth pausing to consider. James apparently understood the hierarchy when Luka Doncic showed up. Luka is the focal point of the team; he is the type of player you build everything around because he is younger and has a longer future. That wasn’t the problem.
Somewhere quieter was the source of the tension. The Lakers started giving Austin Reaves priority over James in offensive sets after he had a great start to the previous season. From the front office’s point of view, the reasoning was sound: younger, less expensive in the long run, and exhibiting true All-Star level potential. From LeBron’s perspective, it hurt differently to watch the offense go through two players who weren’t him while no one in the building seemed to answer the phone to check in.
Law Murray of The Athletic provides a thorough account of how James knew Doncic was the best choice going into the previous season. He accepted that. Deferring to Reaves, whom he had mentored and seen rise from the bottom of the league, was something he hadn’t completely come to terms with. Being proud of what you helped create while simultaneously feeling as though it is subtly pushing you out is an internal conflict that is difficult to articulate.
James saw a glimpse of something he had been longing for during the Houston Rockets series in the playoffs. LeBron took over and ran the offense the way he always has, reading the floor, making decisions, and controlling tempo, while Doncic and Reaves dealt with injuries. The Lakers prevailed. According to people familiar with the situation, James fell back in love with his potential as a lead option at some point during that moment.
After that, he returned to Los Angeles and never quite experienced that emotion. The Lakers allegedly went silent in the weeks that followed the New York Knicks‘ championship victory to end the season. Not a single call. No discussions about the future. There was no sign that the organization would actively work to retain him. For almost a month, James received no communication from the team.
The Lakers might have thought the partnership would continue on its own. or that they were already subtly shifting their focus to a future without LeBron. In any case, it seemed that the silence facilitated the choice.
After joining the Philadelphia 76ers, James assumed a position behind Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey. That signing complicated the story for anyone who believed that the true problem was the ego of being a third option. Touches and shot volume were never the only factors in this. It was about whether James still felt like a true part of what the team was creating and whether Los Angeles was still a place where winning a championship was actually possible.
Apparently, the answer was no on both counts. After the dust settled, the Lakers moved swiftly. Walker Kessler entered. In just a few days, the roster changed. It’s not a bad thing that the Luka era in Los Angeles is now clearly and completely here. However, there’s an odd silence when you realize that LeBron James, who wore a Lakers jersey for the first time in 2018, is now playing for Philadelphia in his 24th NBA season.
Some conclusions make a loud announcement. In the quiet between phone calls, this one was decided.
