July 14, 2026 • 17 mins
Kelvin Washington and Ephraim Salaam break down the never-ending speculation surrounding LeBron James and his NBA future. With reports, rumors, and alleged "inside information" surfacing almost daily, the guys discuss why so much of the coverage is driven by assumptions rather than facts.
Kelvin argues that the constant attention is ultimately a compliment to LeBron's greatness and longevity. Even at this stage of his career, he remains the biggest story in basketball. However, that level of attention comes with a downside: entire media careers have been built around covering LeBron, leading to endless speculation and overanalysis of every comment, appearance, and social media post.
The guys explain why fans and media members are reading too much into small clues, creating narratives about LeBron's future destination without real evidence. Plus, Kelvin shares why the way LeBron is covered has become exhausting and why the nonstop rumor cycle contributes to "LeBron fatigue" around the NBA.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, let's get to this. Speaking of scoops, I
was talking about scoop B. But there's a lot of
scoops going on, some of them coming from somebody who
acts like he ain't dropping the scoops. Rob g and
Rich Paul has some things to say about you know
who Lebron Jags Well.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I mean, depending what time you catch him on your
local podcast, feed, television show, his answer to what's going
on Lebron James might flip because you've heard usc Chris
mentioned in the updates that hey, Sean Sharania spoke to
Rich Paul and this decision is coming at any minute now,
because we're all waiting with baby breath on where Lebron's
gonna take his time to this time. And then you'll
(00:35):
go on the Shannon Sharp podcast and say, I just
want to be happy. He wants to be happy. Don't
know when he's gonna make a decision, and he's gonna
jump on the Sports Center and say, you know, winning
a championship not the thing that really matters to him.
He just wants to be happy, and he's gonna go
another thing. He says, well, you know, he wants to
be in the winning championship business. That's what he really wants.
And so basically what it comes down to is either
nobody knows anything or Rich Paul is really jumping through
(00:56):
hoops to make you think that Lebron James as it
made his decision, and he really has. So now we
got reports to that Lebron's decision is coming, that executives,
gms and players are being asked to send phone voice
messages to Ridge Paul that he will then relay to
Lebron James. Cornett's yeah, exactly, that Draymond Green is gonna
(01:17):
be taking They're gonna be hanging out together. That's gonna
be reported, and Draymond got to confirmed down his own podcast.
They went golfing together and he made a pitch that
was crazy. So this whole Lebron James free agent situation
is starting to feel eerily similar, if not even worse
than what we saw with the decision sixteen years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I'm gonna scale it back, I'm gonna I'm gonna let
that was. You know, that was a whole other thing
because he was in the beginning of the peak of
his powers. At that point, he had been an MVP,
and you know, he was the guy. Then this isn't that.
So I won't go that far. But what I'll say is,
I think what we've realized to me from a this
is on end is the gift of the curse. The
(01:56):
gift is the compliment to Lebron is he's been this
good and then even last year was as good, even
in the postseason for the Lakers. Yep, you could argue
that I'll played that SGA in those games against the Thunder.
That team still won them, and teams still feel he's
the missing piece. We can win Cleveland, if we get
to Lebron, we can go to the finals and be
past the Knicks. Right, Philly, Man, we got a bunch
(02:18):
of talent. If we get a guy who's been there before, Spurs,
that's all why you're missing was a veteran presence, you know.
So you can go on down the line where guys
are willing to wait, organizations are willing to wait. And
that's a compliment to him that he can hold the
league hostage. The downside the curse is that Lebron has
become such a thing that careers have been built on it.
Shows have been built on it. Writers and reporters who
(02:41):
have been on the beat of Lebron for twenty four years,
have made careers of it that now any and everything
is reported upon. You know, Lebron had a Philly cheese steak,
so that means he's going to Philly, you know that
everon right? You know Lebron, they said Rich Paul said,
golf matters. Where is better golf than on the West coast?
So he must be going up to the Bay Area,
(03:03):
you know Lebron. You know he always said his favorite
favorite family vacation. You know what I mean. We're getting
to the point where any and everything he's going to
hang out with Draymond, So that means he's a warrior.
And Lebron likes the troll stumping through the town. What
town is in Lebron? When he's puzzling the video rolling
through the city. Oh shoot, you know what you're doing?
You know, we gonna dissect every tree, every landmark. Where
(03:25):
is he? What does he mean? What is this? Why
do we read into it? And I think that's the
part that has become fatiguing for those who are either
indifferent to Lebron or those who hate him, is how
he's covered, how everything's a thing, How everything becomes it's
on social media. If he posts something, it becomes a thing.
And to you know, are we talk about it too.
(03:48):
And I think that adds to the Again, if you
already don't like him, you like see man, this is
because it just adds to because instead of just what
makes sense just basketball wise, I get that where the
fit matters, it's every little thing he does. And I
think that wears on people. Now Here we are twenty
four years of it where people are just over that.
They're over what they'll deem the drama, the extra stuff. Uh,
(04:11):
and I think people will get worn out by it.
And Rich Paul, who kind of plays both sides, last
point for he kind of like, oh no, no, no, I'm
just doing a podcast. I even think about Lebron. No no, no,
you gotta understand Lebron what he's looking for. No, no, no,
this is just me talking. I'm not talking you. Everything
you say is going to somehow benefit Lebron. You're never
gonna harm Lebron or any other your clients, and you
(04:32):
know what you're doing. So he tries to play oh no, no,
I'm just you know, just it is what it is.
But then it's like nah, I see what you gonna
stand Lebron. It's not about money. Well, he doesn't want
to be in a He's not team jumping for contenders, Ephraim.
He's just saying he wants to be in a competitive situation.
So it's like, Okay, Rich, how am I supposed to
take anything you say when I know everything you're saying
is either from him or for him. Okay, So does
(04:55):
any of that surprise you? No? So why does it
bother you? I wouldn't say it bothers me. I'm saying
this is the fuel to why I think some of
lebron hate isn't just his play, is what I'm saying,
And I think it's these things that have warn on
people for say, let's say the last fifteen, because I
think the first eight to nine it was like whatever Lebron,
whatever is Lebron's good. And I think the last ten, twelve,
(05:18):
fifteen years have been this stuff that the business side
of it. When look at the Bates shows, as they
start to blow up, they realize we're gonna get the
three greatest hits and were gonna beat that into the ground,
and he was one of them.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I don't have a problem with anything transpiring right now.
I think Lebron James, and going into year twenty four,
has earned this. I think he's not holding free agency
hostage because he's not commanding a salary that would make
any team, you know, have to make real decisions in
(05:55):
terms of getting to the second apron or not. Right
in twenty four years, Lebron James has been the talk
and the story of the NBA. He's been the face
of the league at forty at forty one, he's the
face of the league. I don't have a problem with
him making the decision whenever he makes it, because teams
(06:17):
have already gone out in free agency and spent the
money they He didn't get in the way of the
Yiannis trade.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
He didn't get in the way of the Paul George trade,
or the Kawhi trade. He didn't get in the way
of anything. Matter of fact, there is no trade. He's
a free agent. He literally gets to pick where he
wants to go. He's come out and said it's not
about the money. It's not about the money. Well, I mean,
he's a billionaire, so but what I'm saying is Lebron
(06:47):
James really as good as he is now on the
open market, could command twenty five thirty five million dollars
a year still right now, right, he can get a
two year deal for sixty plus million dollars right with
a player option or or team out, whatever that is.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
He can command that. He's not interested in that. What
that did was it opened up everyone, right. It opened
up teams like Philly who are approaching the second Apron,
who couldn't afford to pay Lebron James thirty million dollars
a year. It opens up teams like San Antonio who
(07:26):
have a young corps. They just re upped Victory woman.
Y'a'ma five years, two hundred and fifty two million dollars.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Right. It even opened up the Lakers. A lot of
people thought maybe he could you know, it was still
come back. He could still come back. So all I'm
saying is Lebron James has earned the right to number one,
take his time. Number two. He's taking his time, and
it's not interrupting any other NBA business. The team Lebron
(07:54):
is gonna pick already knows you think, so we just
don't know. Of course, I of course, let me let
me them explain something to you.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Number one, the team has to have the mid level exception,
what what the they have to have the room. So
you mean to tell me Lebron James is just gonna
pick a team without them knowing. Well, I think these teams,
I do think there's an element of still unsurprised, and
I think they just I think they're saying, I'm gonna
keep three to five ready, No, a team that he
(08:27):
picks whenever he decides to tell us, they know and
have known.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
That's it, that's it. You could be right.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
I just think there is if he's going to Philly,
and I'm not saying that's what he's doing, right. You
don't think he's he has a place to stay out
there already. I mean you think he's just gonna make
a decision and then, oh, we gotta get out there.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
We've got to go get there. I think Lebron can
do anything he needs to. What I'm saying, if you
decide on a team like the summer is almost up,
summer's almost up. I just so I genuinely believe that
he's still figuring this out. I could be I could
be wrong. He knew he wasn't gonna be a Laker. Yeah,
he I don't think that was a lot.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
He knew that, but he knew he wanted his son
to still stay there and still has a family there. Yeah, yeah,
I think I agree with that. So whatever he decides
to do, I'm all for it. I thank you for
what he did for the Lakers. We were irrelevant prior
to him coming there. We got a championship. Are you
the only Laker fan that says that? What most Laker
fans good riddings? Never wanted you because I'm a realist.
(09:29):
Number One, I work in the business. I'm a fan,
but I work in the business, so I'm looking at
it like talking points and the reality of a situation.
Sometimes being a fan can blind you to the reality
of what's happening and what a person meant to a franchise.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
You ever looked at somebody sideways, even when they did
something good for you, like, yeah, but that's all A
lot of Laker fans rob you. You're a Laker fan.
I feel like living here, being on the airways when
he came. I literally was on local station here the
that he signed, and we took the calls, me and
whoever I was with that day, and I was blown
away at the Laker fans that were, you know, not happy.
(10:07):
You know, what I know is the Kobe Kobe because
they played against each other, but we met the height
of their powered. No, it looks it's it is what
we played. If it were Bird, if Bird was coming.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
To the Lakes when they were supposed to play in
the finals, but they blew it, then blew it the
year that the magic got there. So what I'm saying, Look,
but wouldn't any fan No, nope, nope, nope, nope. That's
how Kobe is revered here. That's how much Kobe is
revered here. All right, Okay, let me ask you. Let
me ask you this, Okay, Michael Jordan, Yes, he retires
(10:42):
that second time, right after they won the three P
ninety eight, he retires.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
I don't like where you're going with this. What I
think I know where you're going with this.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
What Karl Malone comes to Chicago or whatever other Clyde
Drexler comes to Chicago, right, A superstar, Barkley, a superstar
comes to Chicago. Are they gonna replace You're gonna fill
(11:15):
a certain type of way. But if Barkley leads them in.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Two years, I think a champions would have to be
you don't replace Jordan. You're thankful for that, But I
don't think many were. I think it was like a
you know, like when you can't have been begging you
for something, you say no. You say no, we haven't
made a playoffs in six years prior to Lebron, James
got problem. You're being rational. Even even in the second year,
(11:39):
even in the COVID shortened year, they were the number
one team in the West heading into the last three
weeks of the regular season, Robs, they were the favorites
to win the NBA Championship. Jump in on this because
I need you as a Laker fan. I feel more people,
even when they wanted, were like, thank god, we wanted
(12:02):
for Kobe, not so much like, oh, Lebron, wait to
win it for us, and he's being rational because I've
been real. No, I'll compliment you to But I don't
think most fans here. I think it was always a
side eye with Lebron. Even when things were good, it
was like, and I think you're better to answer your
question would have been what if Kobe came to replace Jordan?
(12:26):
Because I think it has. If it's Claude, if it's Barkley,
I don't think there's apples to apples because all.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Right, cool, we got a big nose. That's a good point.
You're right, it has to have been coked.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
I didn't want to do that because right, but it
makes sense because then they would go because the part
of the thing was people felt Lebron skipped Kobe and
the greatest of all people were like at that point,
it wasn't a done deal, but it was like it
was twenty eighteen, so people a lot of people already
made their mind, Oh, he's the second best, or he's
the first or whatever. But yeah, if Kobe did come
in and replace Kobe coming in after those first three
(12:57):
with Shack or something, or you're like oh, because a
party was like, is he about to be better than Mike? No? No, no,
he ain't.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Heck no, I mean I was saying somebody who was
a peer of Jordan, I got what you mean, but
there has to be some spoke I got you, and
that's what. And so in Chicago fans wouldn't embrace Kobe
like we like Laker fans really didn't embrace And I
just appreciated what you did on the court for us,
but we I mean, look, we Bro.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
This is Kobe Country. Do you think magic and Kobe last?
I think it's a good question too. Kobe God blessed,
that doesn't pass less vitriol more welcoming. Yes, because Kobe
would have accepted Lebron like he did. That's what I'm
(13:45):
wondering like today. That's that's the that's the bridge we
don't we don't have. That's the bridge. Kobe loved Lebron.
I know that loved him. I loved loved for him
to come to the Lakers because he understood the brand
and we knew what but we knew I wasn't my
best last half. He knew what we needed. But that
I'm always wondering like if he was. Look, I'm not
(14:06):
a before he got to the Lakers. I was a
Kobe guy. So that's just what it was when he
came to the Lakers. I was grateful that he came
to the Lakers. It got us our seventeenth championship at
the time. It tied us with the Celtics, which is
the only thing I care about now they won up
on us, right, So I'm.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
I'm a real fan, man. I've been a fan. I've
been going to the Great Western form. I used to
live a mile away from the farm in Inglewood growing up.
Bob mcaduw's my uncle. When he played for the Lakers
like I used to, we used to go all of that.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
So I'm in. I'm I'm Laker through and through. You
would you agree that you're the anomaly? Yeah? Most most
fans are. I think Lakers were hero be fans than
Laker fans. I could be wrong.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Laker fans are you know, the real Laker fans are
purest right. I'm I was there cheering on him when
Sedelle three was running point right, when when little hands,
little feet, baby Elden Campbell, you know he helped the trade.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, all right, whatever, you know?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Right when Nick van X was like, uh a one
two three can coon and then found himself bouncing around
the NBA uh and was no longer Nick the quick,
Nick the Quick to get on another team.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
That one thing changed his whole career because Kobe was like,
not here. Robert sokra Era, yes, all of it. Yeah,
Chris Mans wasn't of this, right, Yeah, that was some reling.
It's some lean times.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Lebron James brought us back from obscurity into prominence, and
it's been you know, missed the playoffs, get to the
but you know, the play in all of we've played
relevant basketball the last three four years.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
I'm okay, I'm okay with that. But that's what I've said,
and I also told you if you look at what
other guys have done over the eight years, he's right
on part with the you know the guys we would
say the Giannis is, the Jokers and the Sgas'll never
been another Lebron James.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, there'll never be someone to play twenty four years
at a level he's played. That's why it's never been
someone like that.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
It's crazy. There's a reason there's never been a Lebron
and won't be another Lebron who's doing that. Nobody doing
it twenty four years. He says, you could play twenty
four years, six and six last year at forty Yeah,
you forty one.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
This is what we're talking about. He his just his
career past thirty eight is greater than some entire career
for NBA players.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
For sure. His numbers along argue Hall of famers, without
a doubt. There's some Hall of famers who the last
eight years, if they had that record, they would love that.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
It's like Kobe Bryant right when you look at him,
the number eight, Kobe Bryant, the number twenty four, Kobe Bryant.
Two separate careers, two separate players. They're both in the
Hall of Fame. They both have multiple championships. That's greatness.
Where we draw the line for Lebron with Jersey? Is
it when he changed the six or somethinghere?
Speaker 1 (17:09):
We is it? Miami post? Is it any before that?
And the second round of Cleveland? Back? Like what I
mean the second time we got to Cleveland?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
The first half? Step up? No, I think, I think
the Cleveland and Miami's first half. Nope, are you Cleveland?
Miami is the first half and and Cleveland now is
the second half?
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Gotcha all right,
All right, let's get to this. Speaking of scoops, I
was talking about scoop B. But there's a lot of
scoops going on, some of them coming from somebody who
acts like he ain't dropping the scoops. Rob g and
Rich Paul has some things to say about you know
who Lebron Jags Well.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I mean, depending what time you catch him on your
local podcast, feed, television show, his answer to what's going
on Lebron James might flip because you've heard usc Chris
mentioned in the updates that hey, Sean Sharania spoke to
Rich Paul and this decision is coming at any minute now,
because we're all waiting with baby breath on where Lebron's
gonna take his time to this time. And then you'll
(00:35):
go on the Shannon Sharp podcast and say, I just
want to be happy. He wants to be happy. Don't
know when he's gonna make a decision, and he's gonna
jump on the Sports Center and say, you know, winning
a championship not the thing that really matters to him.
He just wants to be happy, and he's gonna go
another thing. He says, well, you know, he wants to
be in the winning championship business. That's what he really wants.
And so basically what it comes down to is either
nobody knows anything or Rich Paul is really jumping through
(00:56):
hoops to make you think that Lebron James as it
made his decision, and he really has. So now we
got reports to that Lebron's decision is coming, that executives,
gms and players are being asked to send phone voice
messages to Ridge Paul that he will then relay to
Lebron James. Cornett's yeah, exactly, that Draymond Green is gonna
(01:17):
be taking They're gonna be hanging out together. That's gonna
be reported, and Draymond got to confirmed down his own podcast.
They went golfing together and he made a pitch that
was crazy. So this whole Lebron James free agent situation
is starting to feel eerily similar, if not even worse
than what we saw with the decision sixteen years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I'm gonna scale it back, I'm gonna I'm gonna let
that was. You know, that was a whole other thing
because he was in the beginning of the peak of
his powers. At that point, he had been an MVP,
and you know, he was the guy. Then this isn't that.
So I won't go that far. But what I'll say is,
I think what we've realized to me from a this
is on end is the gift of the curse. The
(01:56):
gift is the compliment to Lebron is he's been this
good and then even last year was as good, even
in the postseason for the Lakers. Yep, you could argue
that I'll played that SGA in those games against the Thunder.
That team still won them, and teams still feel he's
the missing piece. We can win Cleveland, if we get
to Lebron, we can go to the finals and be
past the Knicks. Right, Philly, Man, we got a bunch
(02:18):
of talent. If we get a guy who's been there before, Spurs,
that's all why you're missing was a veteran presence, you know.
So you can go on down the line where guys
are willing to wait, organizations are willing to wait. And
that's a compliment to him that he can hold the
league hostage. The downside the curse is that Lebron has
become such a thing that careers have been built on it.
Shows have been built on it. Writers and reporters who
(02:41):
have been on the beat of Lebron for twenty four years,
have made careers of it that now any and everything
is reported upon. You know, Lebron had a Philly cheese steak,
so that means he's going to Philly, you know that
everon right? You know Lebron, they said Rich Paul said,
golf matters. Where is better golf than on the West coast?
So he must be going up to the Bay Area,
(03:03):
you know Lebron. You know he always said his favorite
favorite family vacation. You know what I mean. We're getting
to the point where any and everything he's going to
hang out with Draymond, So that means he's a warrior.
And Lebron likes the troll stumping through the town. What
town is in Lebron? When he's puzzling the video rolling
through the city. Oh shoot, you know what you're doing?
You know, we gonna dissect every tree, every landmark. Where
(03:25):
is he? What does he mean? What is this? Why
do we read into it? And I think that's the
part that has become fatiguing for those who are either
indifferent to Lebron or those who hate him, is how
he's covered, how everything's a thing, How everything becomes it's
on social media. If he posts something, it becomes a thing.
And to you know, are we talk about it too.
(03:48):
And I think that adds to the Again, if you
already don't like him, you like see man, this is
because it just adds to because instead of just what
makes sense just basketball wise, I get that where the
fit matters, it's every little thing he does. And I
think that wears on people. Now Here we are twenty
four years of it where people are just over that.
They're over what they'll deem the drama, the extra stuff. Uh,
(04:11):
and I think people will get worn out by it.
And Rich Paul, who kind of plays both sides, last
point for he kind of like, oh no, no, no, I'm
just doing a podcast. I even think about Lebron. No no, no,
you gotta understand Lebron what he's looking for. No, no, no,
this is just me talking. I'm not talking you. Everything
you say is going to somehow benefit Lebron. You're never
gonna harm Lebron or any other your clients, and you
(04:32):
know what you're doing. So he tries to play oh no, no,
I'm just you know, just it is what it is.
But then it's like nah, I see what you gonna
stand Lebron. It's not about money. Well, he doesn't want
to be in a He's not team jumping for contenders, Ephraim.
He's just saying he wants to be in a competitive situation.
So it's like, Okay, Rich, how am I supposed to
take anything you say when I know everything you're saying
is either from him or for him. Okay, So does
(04:55):
any of that surprise you? No? So why does it
bother you? I wouldn't say it bothers me. I'm saying
this is the fuel to why I think some of
lebron hate isn't just his play, is what I'm saying,
And I think it's these things that have warn on
people for say, let's say the last fifteen, because I
think the first eight to nine it was like whatever Lebron,
whatever is Lebron's good. And I think the last ten, twelve,
(05:18):
fifteen years have been this stuff that the business side
of it. When look at the Bates shows, as they
start to blow up, they realize we're gonna get the
three greatest hits and were gonna beat that into the ground,
and he was one of them.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I don't have a problem with anything transpiring right now.
I think Lebron James, and going into year twenty four,
has earned this. I think he's not holding free agency
hostage because he's not commanding a salary that would make
any team, you know, have to make real decisions in
(05:55):
terms of getting to the second apron or not. Right
in twenty four years, Lebron James has been the talk
and the story of the NBA. He's been the face
of the league at forty at forty one, he's the
face of the league. I don't have a problem with
him making the decision whenever he makes it, because teams
(06:17):
have already gone out in free agency and spent the
money they He didn't get in the way of the
Yiannis trade.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
He didn't get in the way of the Paul George trade,
or the Kawhi trade. He didn't get in the way
of anything. Matter of fact, there is no trade. He's
a free agent. He literally gets to pick where he
wants to go. He's come out and said it's not
about the money. It's not about the money. Well, I mean,
he's a billionaire, so but what I'm saying is Lebron
(06:47):
James really as good as he is now on the
open market, could command twenty five thirty five million dollars
a year still right now, right, he can get a
two year deal for sixty plus million dollars right with
a player option or or team out, whatever that is.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
He can command that. He's not interested in that. What
that did was it opened up everyone, right. It opened
up teams like Philly who are approaching the second Apron,
who couldn't afford to pay Lebron James thirty million dollars
a year. It opens up teams like San Antonio who
(07:26):
have a young corps. They just re upped Victory woman.
Y'a'ma five years, two hundred and fifty two million dollars.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Right. It even opened up the Lakers. A lot of
people thought maybe he could you know, it was still
come back. He could still come back. So all I'm
saying is Lebron James has earned the right to number one,
take his time. Number two. He's taking his time, and
it's not interrupting any other NBA business. The team Lebron
(07:54):
is gonna pick already knows you think, so we just
don't know. Of course, I of course, let me let
me them explain something to you.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Number one, the team has to have the mid level exception,
what what the they have to have the room. So
you mean to tell me Lebron James is just gonna
pick a team without them knowing. Well, I think these teams,
I do think there's an element of still unsurprised, and
I think they just I think they're saying, I'm gonna
keep three to five ready, No, a team that he
(08:27):
picks whenever he decides to tell us, they know and
have known.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
That's it, that's it. You could be right.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
I just think there is if he's going to Philly,
and I'm not saying that's what he's doing, right. You
don't think he's he has a place to stay out
there already. I mean you think he's just gonna make
a decision and then, oh, we gotta get out there.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
We've got to go get there. I think Lebron can
do anything he needs to. What I'm saying, if you
decide on a team like the summer is almost up,
summer's almost up. I just so I genuinely believe that
he's still figuring this out. I could be I could
be wrong. He knew he wasn't gonna be a Laker. Yeah,
he I don't think that was a lot.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
He knew that, but he knew he wanted his son
to still stay there and still has a family there. Yeah, yeah,
I think I agree with that. So whatever he decides
to do, I'm all for it. I thank you for
what he did for the Lakers. We were irrelevant prior
to him coming there. We got a championship. Are you
the only Laker fan that says that? What most Laker
fans good riddings? Never wanted you because I'm a realist.
(09:29):
Number One, I work in the business. I'm a fan,
but I work in the business, so I'm looking at
it like talking points and the reality of a situation.
Sometimes being a fan can blind you to the reality
of what's happening and what a person meant to a franchise.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
You ever looked at somebody sideways, even when they did
something good for you, like, yeah, but that's all A
lot of Laker fans rob you. You're a Laker fan.
I feel like living here, being on the airways when
he came. I literally was on local station here the
that he signed, and we took the calls, me and
whoever I was with that day, and I was blown
away at the Laker fans that were, you know, not happy.
(10:07):
You know, what I know is the Kobe Kobe because
they played against each other, but we met the height
of their powered. No, it looks it's it is what
we played. If it were Bird, if Bird was coming.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
To the Lakes when they were supposed to play in
the finals, but they blew it, then blew it the
year that the magic got there. So what I'm saying, Look,
but wouldn't any fan No, nope, nope, nope, nope. That's
how Kobe is revered here. That's how much Kobe is
revered here. All right, Okay, let me ask you. Let
me ask you this, Okay, Michael Jordan, Yes, he retires
(10:42):
that second time, right after they won the three P
ninety eight, he retires.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
I don't like where you're going with this. What I
think I know where you're going with this.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
What Karl Malone comes to Chicago or whatever other Clyde
Drexler comes to Chicago, right, A superstar, Barkley, a superstar
comes to Chicago. Are they gonna replace You're gonna fill
(11:15):
a certain type of way. But if Barkley leads them in.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Two years, I think a champions would have to be
you don't replace Jordan. You're thankful for that, But I
don't think many were. I think it was like a
you know, like when you can't have been begging you
for something, you say no. You say no, we haven't
made a playoffs in six years prior to Lebron, James
got problem. You're being rational. Even even in the second year,
(11:39):
even in the COVID shortened year, they were the number
one team in the West heading into the last three
weeks of the regular season, Robs, they were the favorites
to win the NBA Championship. Jump in on this because
I need you as a Laker fan. I feel more people,
even when they wanted, were like, thank god, we wanted
(12:02):
for Kobe, not so much like, oh, Lebron, wait to
win it for us, and he's being rational because I've
been real. No, I'll compliment you to But I don't
think most fans here. I think it was always a
side eye with Lebron. Even when things were good, it
was like, and I think you're better to answer your
question would have been what if Kobe came to replace Jordan?
(12:26):
Because I think it has. If it's Claude, if it's Barkley,
I don't think there's apples to apples because all.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Right, cool, we got a big nose. That's a good point.
You're right, it has to have been coked.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
I didn't want to do that because right, but it
makes sense because then they would go because the part
of the thing was people felt Lebron skipped Kobe and
the greatest of all people were like at that point,
it wasn't a done deal, but it was like it
was twenty eighteen, so people a lot of people already
made their mind, Oh, he's the second best, or he's
the first or whatever. But yeah, if Kobe did come
in and replace Kobe coming in after those first three
(12:57):
with Shack or something, or you're like oh, because a
party was like, is he about to be better than Mike? No? No, no,
he ain't.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Heck no, I mean I was saying somebody who was
a peer of Jordan, I got what you mean, but
there has to be some spoke I got you, and
that's what. And so in Chicago fans wouldn't embrace Kobe
like we like Laker fans really didn't embrace And I
just appreciated what you did on the court for us,
but we I mean, look, we Bro.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
This is Kobe Country. Do you think magic and Kobe last?
I think it's a good question too. Kobe God blessed,
that doesn't pass less vitriol more welcoming. Yes, because Kobe
would have accepted Lebron like he did. That's what I'm
(13:45):
wondering like today. That's that's the that's the bridge we
don't we don't have. That's the bridge. Kobe loved Lebron.
I know that loved him. I loved loved for him
to come to the Lakers because he understood the brand
and we knew what but we knew I wasn't my
best last half. He knew what we needed. But that
I'm always wondering like if he was. Look, I'm not
(14:06):
a before he got to the Lakers. I was a
Kobe guy. So that's just what it was when he
came to the Lakers. I was grateful that he came
to the Lakers. It got us our seventeenth championship at
the time. It tied us with the Celtics, which is
the only thing I care about now they won up
on us, right, So I'm.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
I'm a real fan, man. I've been a fan. I've
been going to the Great Western form. I used to
live a mile away from the farm in Inglewood growing up.
Bob mcaduw's my uncle. When he played for the Lakers
like I used to, we used to go all of that.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
So I'm in. I'm I'm Laker through and through. You
would you agree that you're the anomaly? Yeah? Most most
fans are. I think Lakers were hero be fans than
Laker fans. I could be wrong.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Laker fans are you know, the real Laker fans are
purest right. I'm I was there cheering on him when
Sedelle three was running point right, when when little hands,
little feet, baby Elden Campbell, you know he helped the trade.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, all right, whatever, you know?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Right when Nick van X was like, uh a one
two three can coon and then found himself bouncing around
the NBA uh and was no longer Nick the quick,
Nick the Quick to get on another team.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
That one thing changed his whole career because Kobe was like,
not here. Robert sokra Era, yes, all of it. Yeah,
Chris Mans wasn't of this, right, Yeah, that was some reling.
It's some lean times.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Lebron James brought us back from obscurity into prominence, and
it's been you know, missed the playoffs, get to the
but you know, the play in all of we've played
relevant basketball the last three four years.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
I'm okay, I'm okay with that. But that's what I've said,
and I also told you if you look at what
other guys have done over the eight years, he's right
on part with the you know the guys we would
say the Giannis is, the Jokers and the Sgas'll never
been another Lebron James.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, there'll never be someone to play twenty four years
at a level he's played. That's why it's never been
someone like that.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
It's crazy. There's a reason there's never been a Lebron
and won't be another Lebron who's doing that. Nobody doing
it twenty four years. He says, you could play twenty
four years, six and six last year at forty Yeah,
you forty one.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
This is what we're talking about. He his just his
career past thirty eight is greater than some entire career
for NBA players.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
For sure. His numbers along argue Hall of famers, without
a doubt. There's some Hall of famers who the last
eight years, if they had that record, they would love that.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
It's like Kobe Bryant right when you look at him,
the number eight, Kobe Bryant, the number twenty four, Kobe Bryant.
Two separate careers, two separate players. They're both in the
Hall of Fame. They both have multiple championships. That's greatness.
Where we draw the line for Lebron with Jersey? Is
it when he changed the six or somethinghere?
Speaker 1 (17:09):
We is it? Miami post? Is it any before that?
And the second round of Cleveland? Back? Like what I
mean the second time we got to Cleveland?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
The first half? Step up? No, I think, I think
the Cleveland and Miami's first half. Nope, are you Cleveland?
Miami is the first half and and Cleveland now is
the second half?
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Gotcha all right,
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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