SUMMARY
- LeBron James potentially leave the Lakers this off-season and test free agency.
- James could possibly reunited with the Heat in hopes of winning another championship.
There are a bunch of rumors about LeBron James potentially opting out of the second year of his current contract and testing free agency. The 4x NBA Champion isn’t a stranger in these types of situations. After all, he has made it clear that his only goal at the moment is to win a championship. But it doesn’t seem like his chances of winning a title with the Los Angeles Lakers are too great. Experts do believe that James could seek a deal with the Miami Heat after this season.
LeBron responding to the official SportsCenter account asking him if he misses Miami on IG Live
LeBron: “Do I miss Miami?”
Savannah: “Yes.”
LeBron: “Do you mean the city or the team? What do you mean?”
Savannah: “I miss the city.”
LeBron: “My wife misses the city.” pic.twitter.com/gAp62sK09f
— Dru (@dru_star) February 22, 2024
During a recent live stream on Instagram, the Lakers forward spent some time answering randoms fans sent questions. His son Bryce and his wife, Savannah were also around. One fan asked if he missed Miami to which James asked if they meant the team or the city. Savannah replied saying she missed the city and James told his fans, “My wife misses the city.” LeBron spent four years at South Beach before returning to Cleveland for his second stint in 2014.
LeBron James was sure he would win championships in Miami
The 20x NBA All-Star entered free agency in 2010 after competing alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers for seven years. His run in Cleveland wasn’t very successful, especially during the playoffs. A couple of months ago, James revealed why he chose to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He said, “I came here for one reason and one reason only, to win championships. That was my only goal. That’s the only reason why I teamed up with D-Wade and Bosh.”
He added, “I felt like I couldn’t do it in Cleveland. I tried to recruit guys to come to Cleveland, tried to go and help upstairs, and it wasn’t happening. So, I had an opportunity to be a free agent and did what I thought was best for my career.” Though he was named a 2x League MVP during his first stint in Cleveland, James made only one finals appearance. In Miami, he made four consecutive finals runs while winning two of them.
LeBron James hopes to retire with the Lakers
LeBron James has been very vocal about retirement now, than ever before. During the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend press conference, James addressed the number of years he probably has left in the NBA. He revealed that he knows there isn’t much time left but that he also doesn’t have a date set for retirement.
“I am a Laker and I’m happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way. But I don’t have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I’ll be in. Hopefully [it] is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization, so many greats. But we’ll see,” he said, according to People. The Lakers aren’t having the best run at the moment. But things could turn around quickly during the second half of the season.
