“Look at what happened to the Chicago Bulls when they sent Michael Jordan on his way” - Ric Bucher reacts to Shaquille O’Neal warning the Lakers against trading LeBron James
NBA and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and the possibility of the Lakers trading their superstar away have been subject to immense scrutiny from former players and the media.
On Fox Sports' morning show Undisputed, sports media personality Ric Bucher appeared and filled in for Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe and he agreed with Shaquille O'Neal and spoke about how the Lakers would make a grave mistake if they traded away LeBron James. Bucher said:
"If you take the face of the league and you move them and disrespect them, it's challenging to get other superstars to come to your franchise. Look at what happened with the Chicago Bulls when they sent Michael Jordan on his way, or the Washington Wizards when they sent Michael Jordan on his way. It left a stain on the franchises that they had to overcome and it took years to do it."
Ric Bucher also spoke about how the Lakers might find it easier than the Bulls and Wizards because of the brand of the franchise and the market that they are situated in. However, with King James still performing at an MVP caliber level, the Lakers will have to explore options to keep him and surround him with the best players possible as that still proves to be their best shot at winning another championship.
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"If you take the face of the league and disrespect them, it'll be hard to get other stars to come to your franchise. Look how long it took the Bulls to overcome the stain after sending MJ on his way." — @RicBucher https://t.co/UxdDaNOv5R
Should the LA Lakers trade LeBron James?
The LA Lakers (27-33) have endured a tumultuous campaign. The difficulties have led to reports of unrest between superstar LeBron James and the Lakers front office, including general manager Rob Pelinka.
The Lakers pursued Russell Westbrook over Buddy Hield in the summer due to explicit instructions from King James, who wanted to play alongside Westbrook. The move has backfired as Mr. Triple Double's performances have been shockingly poor as he has failed to establish chemistry with James and has leaked turnovers.
LeBron James has his 500th career 30-point game. It's the 3rd most in NBA history behind only Wilt Chamberlain (515) and Michael Jordan (562). https://t.co/k4X2oD38pe
LeBron has also been involved in a power struggle with Pelinka and the team's hierarchy as the superstar wanted moves to be made before trade deadline day but there was no activity from the Lakers at all. James' entourage includes super agent Rich Paul, and there are reports of possibly fractured relations between Paul and the Lakers hierarchy like Kurt Rambis and Pelinka.
Many reports said the superstar might be interested in a move back to his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The idea is that he may stand a better chance at winning a championship with them than the Lakers.
All these reasons have led to speculations about the Lakers trading James. While there will be no shortage of suitors, these talks must be reserved for the summer, not a couple of weeks before the regular season ends as it could possibly derail a season that is pretty much written off already.