“Bron drives our Lakers culture” Rob Pelinka makes honest admission after sending out a $97 Million extension to LeBron James
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Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and LeBron James
There are no doubts in stating that LeBron James is a generational talent for as has delivered Championships for every franchise he played for and even made them title contenders with his explicit gameplay, season after season. The Los Angeles Lakers were not different when they signed LeBron back in 2018. Though his 1st season was more of a trial year, he did his part well and eventually won the NBA championship in 2020. This week, Lakers fans got a dose of good news when it was announced that NBA megastar LeBron James signed an extension to stay with the Purple Gold. GM Rob Pelinka, pleased with the move addressed the media for the first time after the news.
Rob Pelinka spoke about James’ importance to the franchise, and also expressed excitement about having him on the team for the foreseeable future. He mentioned, “LeBron is a generational basketball player who has proven to be even more impactful as a human being. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with him, ensuring he’s a driving force of Lakers culture for years to come.”
Focusing on LA’s ability to attract great talents, Pelinka continued, “The Lakers platform has proved again and again to be an ideal place for the game’s all-time greats to thrive and achieve. We are thankful LeBron has experienced the power of that. With his transcendent talent, unrivaled passion, and dedication to causing powerful change in our society, LeBron continues to cement his legacy in Los Angeles and around the globe.”
LeBron will be playing for the Lakers till the 2025 season with a player option in the last year of his contract. James agreed to a $97.1 million extension with the Lakers.
Will LeBron James be the driving force again for the Los Angeles Lakers?
LeBron James – at any age proved to be the centerpiece for his franchises. Young LeBron did it with Cleveland Cavaliers when he powered a somewhat mediocre team to the 2007 NBA Finals, and even with a star-studded Miami Heat, LBJ made his presence felt. In his 15 years career before the LA stint, 18-time All-star played in 13 playoffs and 9 NBA Finals – highlighting his consistency over the period.
So it certainly was great news to have a player of his quality on the team. Los Angeles Lakers roster was stacked with young stars that needed experienced megastar to guide them on the floor. LeBron had a rough period with the Lakers, mainly due to some injuries and stomach issues, but he was an inspirational star whenever he was on the court.
With the addition of Anthony Davis, the Lakers made sure that they can get maximum output from both their megastars and won their 17th NBA title in 2020. Since then again team struggled to make a deep run into the playoffs, and even missed the postseason in 2022. To make corrections on the same, the Lakers have made some staunch signings, and trades, and reshuffled their coaching staff too.
Of course, the biggest burden falls on LeBron’s shoulders in the 2023 season. As the leader and top veteran of this crew, it’s up to Bron to lead the charge and bring out the best in his guys. LeBron has pulled off some crazy stuff before, but this time it would be a bit difficult without help from fellow Lakers players considering the improvements other teams have made.
But the King signing contract extension implies his faith in the organization and the players he has at the moment. He seemed to hedge a bit when asked about the contract extension at the end of the season. LBJ earlier replied on extension, “The conversation hasn’t been talked about. Technically it’s because (with) the collective bargaining agreement (it) cannot even be discussed until later on in the year. So, you know, I know what’s out there. But we can’t even — myself and Rich — can’t even begin to talk with Rob, or the front office at all, because of the collective bargaining agreement. So (when) we get to that point, we’ll see.”
But now, it’s a moot point. James will not only be back in LA, but he very well could retire there.
Also Read: “I’d shoot that N*GGA in his bald ass head” – WATCH! Trae Young rattled the entire Knicks fanbase
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)