LeBron James knows that he has the future of the rest of his Lakers tenure riding on the upcoming offseason. But as we’ve seen with the 2018-19 season, LeBron’s abilities both on the court and as a team leader weren’t enough to rise the tide of the Lakers all on his own. He needs help.
And outside of having good health, the biggest help James needs is one from the Lakers front office of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka. In an interview with Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, James shared his confidence in the tandem but juxtaposed that with a wide skepticism from rival executives about the Lakers front office duo.
The Lakers were viewed with considerable skepticism, based on their poor roster, the shaky status of coach Luke Walton and a general lack of faith in the front-office tandem of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka. Those who picked the Lakers as the top “win-now” option pointed to a single, overriding factor: LeBron.
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“So it’s very critical to me and my future,” James says of acquiring another star, as he stops midway down the Garden ramp. “And I’m positive and very optimistic that Magic and Rob and the franchise will be great.”
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“They got me,” James retorts, laughing. “I’m very confident. And I’m confident that players want to play with me. I’m very confident in that.”
It’s good that James is projecting confidence and frankly, what else can he do? Part of the reason he joined the Lakers is because he believed in them as an iconic brand. But what if those feelings towards the Lakers brand is a feeling that doesn’t belong to younger generations of stars?
For the past few years, several observers have bemoaned that the Lakers strategy has been no more than polishing their past trophies and the bright lights of the Staples Center. But Jeanie Buss also brought in Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka to make the Lakers more than a shell of their former selves. Only the remainder of James’ storied career hangs in the balance.
