Saying goodbye to a competitor.
Lebron James, in his dust leaves behind him betrayal and everything that is wrong with the sport. On September 25th, 2017, when asked about his intention to end his career with the Cavs, Lebron answered: "It hasn't changed". So what happened?
Why did Lebron James choose the Lakers?
Because they are an iconic team (six out the top eight players on the all time scoring list played for LA), and he wants to become more of an iconic player. Playing in Los Angeles rather than Cleveland will bring that much more attention to Lebron. Also, he seems to think that built around himself, the Lakers have a chance to win another title. First of all, as long as Steph Curry and Kevin Durant are standing in their way, that's never going to happen, and second of all, I still think that a good five Western Conference teams will be better than the Lakers next year.
Are the Lakers contenders?
No way. Because they have one superstar? I know that the NBA is a star studded league, but don't think that a 33 year old Lebron James can bring LA a title. Don't get me wrong though, I still think that Lebron James is the best player in the NBA, and should have won the MVP last year. I just hate seeing a generational talent basically solely commit to improving his brand. He has won three NBA titles, and is basically saying that he doesn't care to win another. Frankly it's shocking coming from someone who has been to the NBA Finals eight years in a row.
Would the Rockets have won a title if Lebron had gone to Houston?
There is one positive: at least Lebron didn't just join the Golden State Warriors like Kevin Durant, and now Demarcus Cousins. I respect him for not just jumping on the wagon. While saying that though, I really wanted there to be a team able to knock off the Dubs. Seeing James Harden, Chris Paul, and Lebron James in the same uniform would have been something else. The short answer to the question is yes. The Rockets would have gone all the way to win their third ever NBA title. But Lebron made the decision not to live in Houston, so it will always be a what if question.
Will the Lakers add more pieces?
Minimally, yes. They've already added Javale McGee (congrats!) and Lance Stephenson. But I don't think that they're going to go out and trade for someone like Kawhi Leonard. If they do, it would probably involve moving both Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram, which would be a mistake. For some reason the Lakers seem to think that Lonzo Ball is a star player. His field goal percentage was .360 and he didn't even shoot .500 from the free throw line. Not to mention he has a torn meniscus in his left knee which could affect his play next season.