“His legacy is going to be where is he in the top 10 in the history of the NBA” - Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo claims LeBron James’ new deal is a terrible look for him, says James doesn’t need more money
LeBron James' contract extension with the LA Lakers has sparked mixed reactions. Sports analyst Chris Russo believes it is not a good look for James on the basis that he does not need more money.
With the extension, James surpassed Kevin Durant as the highest earner in league history. That, coupled with his billionaire status, are the reasons why Russo believes LeBron James should have followed in James Harden's footsteps.
Most guaranteed career earnings (millions):
$532 — LeBron James
$499 — Kevin Durant
$470 — Steph Curry
$450 — Damian Lillard
👑 https://t.co/zOHQLi3Jus
Harden opted out of his player option for next season and instead signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. He took a $14 million pay cut, which gave his team the flexibility to sign players that could help them contend for the 2023 title.
On ESPN's "First Take," Russo reacted to the news of LeBron's contract extension.
"Rich Paul's gonna pat himself on the back because LeBron James has made more money in his career than Kevin Durant. Who in America cares? I mean jeez, how about winning some championships?
"... . Here's what LeBron should have done. He should have gone to ownership and said, 'Listen, I've been paid a billion dollars. We last year were awful. You do what you have to make our team better and make us a better basketball team, and then I'll pick up the crumbs after that. I have made a billion dollars, I don't need any more money.'
Russo then said the two-year contract extension is a terrible look for James.
"For LeBron to make $97 million for two years, and then basically take bows that now he's the highest paid guaranteed player in the history of the NBA, that is a terrible look.
"Nobody wants to see that because it's about championships. His legacy is not gonna be about how much many he makes when his career is over. His legacy is gonna be where is he in the top 10 in the history of the NBA and how many championships does he win."
Here's the clip:
The LA Lakers believe LeBron James can be a driving force of their culture for years to come
There's always been a special emphasis placed on culture and how it plays a role in winning. LeBron, on his show "The Shop," talked about the importance of culture in a franchise.
According to James, having the right culture will go a long way in securing a team's long-term success.
"Definitely, culture first, and then if you can blend that with the talent and the right pieces it literally is the gateway to being successful for a long period of time."
Here's the episode where he talks about the role of culture in winning:
Speaking about LeBron James' contract extension, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka expressed his excitement at the deal. According to Lakers beat reporter Mike Trudell, he said:
"LeBron is a generational basketball player who has proven to be even more impactful as a human being. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with him, ensuring he’s a driving force of Lakers culture for years to come.
"The Lakers platform has proved again and again to be an ideal place for the game’s all-time greats to thrive and achieve. We are thankful LeBron has experienced the power of that."
Rob Pelinka 1/2: “LeBron is a generational basketball player who has proven to be even more impactful as a human being. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with him, ensuring he’s a driving force of Lakers culture for years to come… twitter.com/Lakers/status/…
The comments have, however, rubbed some people the wrong way. Analyst Skip Bayless expressed his displeasure at Pelinka for not talking about James' role in their title aspirations.
There is still some time in the offseason for the Lakers to make more trades. It remains to be seen how impactful they can be.