Any concerns over the quiet start to NBA free agency for the Los Angeles Lakers was washed away in emphatic fashion Sunday evening with news of LeBron James agreeing to a four-year contract. His decision eased some of the sting that came with Paul George remaining in Oklahoma City.
While the Lakers had long been identified as a potential landing spot for James, it wasn’t until recent days that they began to gain serious momentum and emerge as a frontrunner to sign the 14-time All-Star.
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There were questions over whether James would want to sign with the Lakers because of the standard and foothold Kobe Bryant established. Plus, it was believed James might be hesitation to be the first marquee player to join the franchise this summer.
James answered both those questions in a very understand manner, with his agency announcing news of the signing through a press release.
Shortly after word spread of James agreeing to a contract with the Lakers, Bryant offered his reaction, via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
Kobe Bryant will have a lot to say about LeBron in due time. For now, he says in all caps, “I LOVE IT.”
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 2, 2018
Bryant then shared a message for James, Magic Johnson and Jeanie Buss himself on Twitter:
Welcome to the family @KingJames #lakers4life #striveforgreatness @JeanieBuss @MagicJohnson and RP well done!!! ????????
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) July 2, 2018
Bryant recently raised eyebrows when he said James needed to ‘figure out’ how to win more championships rather than allow excuses to be made. He also felt James tried to shoulder too much during the NBA Finals, which was a message Phil Jackson often gave Bryant.
Although some took that as criticism of James, Bryant made certain that he also considered one of his rivals among the league’s greatest players. As if they weren’t intertwined before, Bryant and James will now share a deeper connection.
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