After four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and fulfilling his promise to win an NBA championship title, LeBron James decided to leave his hometown team, Cleveland Cavaliers, and join the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. Despite James’ departure, the Cavaliers remain optimistic that they can remain competitive in the Eastern Conference, and as of now, they consider Kevin Love as the new face of the franchise.
Even before the 2018 NBA free agency started, Kevin Love admitted in an interview with ESPN (h/t Amico Hoops ) that he already had an idea where LeBron James would sign. Love believes James only chose between the Lakers and the Cavaliers as his free agency destination.
“I had somewhat of an idea,” Love said. “I had, like everybody, weighed the options and kinda had an idea of where he might go. … I knew it was probably between Cleveland and Los Angeles.”
Many people were shocked when LeBron James decided to sign with a team who hasn’t been in the NBA Playoffs in the last five years. Unlike in his previous stints with the Miami Heat and the Cavaliers where he played alongside other NBA superstars like Love, Kyrie Irving, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, James will be joining a team mostly consisting of young talents and role players.
Kevin Love on LeBron James: “He’s always wondering what’s next, and it feels like sometimes he’s playing chess and everybody else is playing checkers.” https://t.co/OpR7bf4Gs1
— For The Win (@ForTheWin) August 16, 2018
Kevin Love doesn’t seem surprised with LeBron James’ decision to join the Lakers. Love believes James is the type of player who is “always looking for a different challenge.”
“I think he’s always looking for a different challenge,” Love said. “He’s always wondering what’s next and it feels like sometimes he’s playing chess and everybody else is playing checkers. He’s very, very mentally strong, knows the game of basketball so well, and sometimes there’s something that he sees that other people don’t.”
Wearing the Purple and Gold definitely comes with a huge expectation, especially for a player as great as LeBron James. Most Lakers fans are definitely expecting that James can bring the Lakers back to the NBA Finals and hang another banner at Staples Center. As of now, it remains a big question how James and the Lakers can fully dominate the Western Conference next season.
With the emergence of West powerhouse teams like the Houston Rockets and the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors, the Lakers obviously need more star power on their team to return to title contention. Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka will surely not sit back and relax, especially if they see their team struggle in the first half of the 2018-19 NBA season.
