"The Kareem record, sure he wants that, but he wants to be able to contend and compete for a title" - Shannon Sharpe believes LeBron James is not looking to leave the LA Lakers
NBA and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been touted to leave the Lakers in search of another championship by former New York Knicks talisman Charles Oakley.
On Fox Sports' morning show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, former NFL star Shannon Sharpe has voiced his doubts over this claim from Oakley and addressed the notion of LeBron potentially leaving the Lakers to win another ring. Sharpe said:
"I don't believe LeBron will leave. If you can get off Russ and get another top-level player to team up with LeBron and AD, I think that greatly increases his chance."
Sharpe also talked about how King James is chasing the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of points scored in the league. He mentioned how James has also talked about how contending for a championship is just as important. Sharpe continued:
"The Kareem record, sure he wants that. But he wants to be able to contend and compete for a title in the process of going for that record."
.@ShannonnSharpe on Charles Oakley saying LeBron will leave LA to chase another ring:
"I don't believe LeBron will leave. If the Lakers can move off Russ and add a top-level player, it greatly increases his chance to win. He wants the Kareem record, but wants to win." https://t.co/RiFgIlDJdN
Will LeBron James look to leave the Lakers?
LeBron James is at a point in his career where there is plenty to consider if he is vying for a move away from the Lakers. Outside of basketball, L.A. is the place to be for James and his off-the-court ventures as various businesses of his can thrive in big-market cities like Los Angeles.
LeBron James' current contract with the Lakers expires at the end of the 2022-23 season. He is projected to earn a little over $85 million this year and next. This would suggest that he is going nowhere and wants to see the contract out. However, one of James' biggest wishes is to play with his son, Bronny James, who is eligible to be drafted into the league in 2024.
LeBron James is now 4,733 points shy of passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
Based on the avg number of games James has played per year in his career (76), he would pass Kareem in 2022-23, even if he averages as low as 20 PPG the rest of his career https://t.co/y0yz7uTny5
This would mean that when he hits free agency in 2023, LeBron in all likelihood will choose his next destination depending on where his son is predicted to land. That could very well be the case with the Lakers since Bronny is projected to be a late first-round pick.
However, the Lakers still hold the best chance for James, who is 37, to win his fifth championship. As poorly constructed as the current roster might be with aging players, the Lakers do possess Anthony Davis. If the Lakers can get their house in order, at the very least defensively, then there is every chance they could make a deep run in the postseason this year.
With that said, with LeBron essentially chasing Michael Jordan and his six rings, it isn't an unsubstantiated thought to think he might feel his best opportunity to win at least one more championship if not two might lie elsewhere.