LeBron James’ Agent Rich Paul Gets Brutally Honest About Lakers’ Chances at Championship

LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, is skeptical of Los Angeles Lakers' chances of contending for the championship this year.

LeBron James’ Agent Rich Paul Gets Brutally Honest About Lakers’ Chances at Championship

Rich Paul (Left) and LeBron James (Right) (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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Arguably the greatest player to have ever played the game of basketball, LeBron James, is playing in a record-breaking 23rd season in the NBA. A number no player in league history has ever achieved. After missing the first 14 games of the season due to sciatica nerve issues, James has been slowly trying to work his way into top condition.

During LeBron James‘ absence, it was the offensive partnership duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who carried the burden for the Los Angeles Lakers as they went 10-4 in their first 14 games. There were questions and doubts whether the return of James would affect the team’s chemistry but those doubts have been put to rest for now.

Since the return of James into the starting lineup, the Lakers have gone 6-2. The ‘Purple and Gold’ are currently placed at second in the Western Conference standings with a 17-6 record behind only defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The soon to be 41-year-old, James, has had a slow start to the season by his standards. The forward is currently averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.6 assists so far this campaign. The four-time NBA champion had lost his streak of double-digit points scored after 1,297 games recently, showing clear signs of decline. For the first time in his 23-year long career, James is not the focal point of his team.

This is Doncic’s team now as the Lakers management have built the roster around the Slovenian guard as they prepare themselves for the post-James era. And the move had paid dividends as the former Dallas Mavericks star has been on a rampage this season, making himself a strong candidate to win the league MVP award.

James’ long-term agent and close friend, Rich Paul, said the Lakers are not championship contenders this season on his new podcast with Max Kellerman, Game over.

I personally don’t think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders, not right now. I don’t think they have enough to get to the WCF. When you look at it now, length, athleticism, shooting, speed, can the Lakers play fast? I don’t think so. Their style of play will be very easy to defend when you get into playoffs.

Last season, the Lakers did lose to a younger, faster and more athletic team in the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round. On paper, they do boast one of the best offensive trios in Doncic, Reaves and James but in the playoffs, they will struggle defensively against the younger teams.

Rich Paul sheds light on LeBron James’ future

There will always be noise surrounding LeBron James every season. In the offseason, there were a lot of rumors that Lakers forward would move elsewhere and reports suggested that the Golden State Warriors were interested in James.

LeBron James
LeBron James (Image credits – CNN)

But those rumors have all been put to bed now as Paul made it clear that the 40-year-old would be finishing the 2025-26 campaign with the Lakers.

No. Where’s he gonna go?

When Kellerman suggested that the New York Knicks would be a possibility. Paul said:

That’s wishful thinking, Max, from New York. Does LeBron make the Knicks better? Yes. Yeah, he would, of course. But 29 other teams would say the same thing.

Those statements have made it clear that James is focused on seeing out the season and possibly his career with the Lakers.

LeBron James reveals which was his peak season

After 22 seasons of dominance in the NBA, it is hard to pick out which season was LeBron James’ peak season. James has played in three different franchises, won in all three of them and has played with numerous teammates over the years.

Speaking on an episode of his, Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash, James felt one campaign stood out from the rest.

My peak? I don’t know. If you ask me what I feel like was my best season that I had, where I felt the most complete as a basketball player? I would say, the 2017-18 season I felt like I could do no wrong out there on the basketball floor. Offensively, defensively, I felt no flaws in my game. I felt like every time I stepped on the floor, I really could do everything I wanted to do.

The 2017-18 season was his final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers before joining the Lakers. While James did not win the MVP award, losing it to James Harden, he did feature in all 82 games that season, averaging 27.5 points, 9.1 assists, 8.6 rebounds and made it to the NBA Finals, losing to eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors.

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