Is King James Sending a Message to NBA Fans and the Lakers?
Well, it seems that LeBron James is back at it again. Yesterday, in an Instagram post, LeBron included a snapshot of himself working out in front of a Clippers sign. Alongside this picture, the Lakers’ star wrote, “Say whatever you want, but you damn sure won’t be able to say I didn’t put in the WORK!! 👑. We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist. Man, F this Shhhhhh.” While the message in and of itself isn’t exactly newsworthy, LeBron’s positioning in front of Clippers equipment is.
It’s no secret that LeBron James may want out of LA this offseason. Comments from his agent and LeBron himself have all but proven this, but is this picture a direct confirmation from The King on where he wants to go? Well, Klutch Sports has attempted to quiet the noise surrounding the photo, telling The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky that the photo was taken at Klutch’s offices in Playa Vista. “When the Clippers moved into their new arena, it included an 85,000 square foot practice facility. That means that they no longer needed the smaller Honey Training Center…so LeBron is just working out at his agency's office, and there is nothing to see here. They simply have not yet switched out the branding."
Regardless of what Klutch Sports says, the truth is that LeBron James willingly posted this picture to his Instagram, likely knowing the fallout it would bring. In the post, James posted a plethora of pictures in his slideshow, this being the first one. That is a deliberate choice. He has plenty of photos of himself working out at this facility, and yet chooses the picture of him with Clippers equipment as his first photo that everyone will see. For him to post a picture of himself surrounded by Clippers equipment, the in-city rival of his Lakers team, could be taken as a direct slap in the face by the Lakers organization. Now, if this is a message to us fans and the Lakers on what his aspirations may be, why would the Clippers be his choice?
Well, first of all, the Clippers’ coach is Ty Lue, with whom LeBron won the championship in Cleveland back in 2016 and with whom LeBron continues to have a good relationship. Besides the coach, though, the Clippers have a win-now roster filled with many veteran stars. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden were the two headliners for the team last year, but recent additions of Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, and Brook Lopez position the Clippers as a deep, veteran team filled with players who know how to win. Coincidentally, the team is also based out of Los Angeles, which would allow the James family to remain in their current home, where his family has been for several years now. Compared to the Lakers, the Clippers may have a better roster, a better coach, and they still exist in Los Angeles.
This sounds like a good deal if I’m LeBron, but whether that is his agenda or not, we’ll have to see. The rumor mill is swirling around his name, and LeBron himself is adding fuel to the fire, both of which have occurred the last few times he changed cities. Could this photo be a declaration? Or perhaps it’s just a fun tactic to play with the fans and media? I guess time will tell.
