NBA Rumors: LeBron Wants To Be Laker For Life, Should We Believe Him?

LeBron James has been enjoying his stay with the Los Angeles Lakers and hardly has any reason to consider future options. He recently said he would like to be a Laker for life although that rant may be a bit broad for those who have followed him well. He made similar pronouncements in the past but still ended up moving to a new team.

James, 35, recently said on Instagram that he does not want to go anywhere besides Los Angeles. He finished that message by saying he wanted to be a Laker for the rest of his life. For Lakers fans, that would be good news. But then again, it may be best to consider that he said something similar back in 2014 when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sports Illustrated reported. He said that he always believed that he would return to Cleveland and finish his career there. Yet he moved to the Lakers in 2017.

There are several things to note that could back the claim of James. He signed a four-year $154 million deal in 2018 and is only in his second year. That pact also includes a player-option in 2021, something that he will likely exercise. However, the thing there is that he will already be 36 years old. Though he has shown that he remains dominant to this day, it is a fact that injuries have slowly been cropping up.

It all depends on how James performs moving forward. If he remains sturdy, the Lakers are likely to keep him. But as far as his contract beyond 2022 is concerned, shortened deals with slightly lower figures are likely to be the things to watch.

Also, it would be best to take note that saying he wanted to be a Laker for life could mean other things. One is that he finishes his career with the purple and gold. The other is being a Laker at heart without necessarily finishing his career there. Given his age, the former makes a bit more sense. But then again, James could always flip the script.

James and the Lakers were heavy favorites to win it all this year before the COVID-19 forced the NBA to suspend games temporarily. Resumption of play remains unknown and not too many are fond of the idea of seeing the 2019-20 season ending abruptly. If league commissioner Adam Silver is forced to cancel the season, such could figure prominently on James' future decision - as well as other stars like Anthony Davis.