LeBron James, who is one of the biggest names to ever grace the league, is also arguably the most accomplished NBA player of the 21st century, owing to his positive impact on the teams he has played for. The Akron Ohio-born legend won three NBA championships which define his iconic career until joining the Lakers, where he won his fourth NBA championship.
However, there were moments when things were not going LeBron James’ way in his career, which led to a former NBA legend doubting LeBron James’ impact on the Lakers. Apparently, it was none other than Kobe Bryant per top sports analyst Dough Gottlieb who made this shocking revelation.
Kobe’s purported doubts about LeBron in LA
Fox Sports analyst Dough Gottlieb, during an episode of his radio show back in 2022, revealed that when LeBron signed for the Lakers in 2018, Kobe Bryant argued if LeBron would be impactful in the franchise, as he was in Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.
Gottlieb in his revelations stated how he had drinks with Kobe in a bar, where Kobe discussed LeBron coming to town, which was a done deal already. Gottlieb also said that Kobe allegedly doubted LeBron James‘ compatibility with the Los Angeles based team.
Gottlieb revealed that Kobe said, “LeBron is not built for LA. He doesn’t get, know, or understand LA.”
“He’s not the killer that me and Mike are. LeBron just wants to be loved.”, Kobe Bryant allegedly said.
Kobe also stated as revealed by Gottlieb, that LeBron James would like to be loved by the fans rather than him being the “Savage Competitor” who can bring the team back to dominance, which direct rival the Los Angeles Clippers were catching up at that time.
While neither Kobe Bryant nor LeBron James, responded to these claims, Gottlieb had vouched that Kobe would be willing to discuss the purported claims with everyone, which he could not because of his death in 2020.
LeBron James inked two-year extension with Lakers
The Lakers had decided to have LeBron James on a two-year contract extension worth around $97 million, which runs through the current 2023-2024 season, with a player option for the 2024-2025 season, as revealed by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The contract extension has a 15% trade kicker, which makes LeBron the highest-earning player in the league history, with a whopping sum of $532 million in career guaranteed earnings, which tops Nets’ star Kevin Durant.
LeBron who is also ineligible for a no-trade clause because of an agreement on the extension, but not a new deal, has a starting salary of $46.7 million, a 15% trade kicker, and his potential to afford a choice of staying with the Lakers for as long as feasible.
Legend LeBron James had flirted with the idea of possibly returning to Ohio and Cleveland, is however, limited to signing a two-year extension after his contract expiration. LeBron James who has repeatedly divulged his strong desire to play alongside his eldest son, Bronny, in an NBA team’s roster before his retirement, has clearly been able to prove Kobe’s opinion of him wrong, if Gottlieb’s revelations were to be true.
