LeBron James’ departure from Lakers sparks mixed reactions from Angelenos
NBA free agency: LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard leave Los Angeles
Tuesday marked a big day in the NBA as LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard are beginning new chapters. Law Murray with The Athletic talks about the massive moves.
LOS ANGELES - While LeBron James is not quite ready to hang it up and call it a career, he is ready to move on from Los Angeles.
In the hours ahead of the official start of NBA free agency, his agent announced he would not be returning to the Lakers, spurring mixed reactions from Angelenos.
What we know:
While James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, is often regarded as being part of the equivalent of the Mt. Rushmore of the NBA, he couldn’t quite capture the hearts of Lakers fans.
James leaves behind a legacy that includes helping the Lakers win the 2020 NBA championship and keeping the franchise relevant after several difficult seasons.
In a city filled with murals celebrating other LA icons such as Kobe Bryant and Shohei Ohtani, it’s difficult to find such artwork for James, especially in a Lakers uniform, despite playing for the Purple and Gold for eight seasons.
In fact, a mural in Burbank shows James guarding Bryant. However, it depicts James in a Cavaliers jersey.
What they're saying:
Artist Alex Gonzalez, who painted the mural, said that decision reflected Bryant’s lasting place in the hearts of Lakers fans.
"When I decided not to, I just figured, you know, we like LeBron, but we love Kobe. That’s the bottom line," Gonzalez said.
The other side:
"I can’t believe it until I see him with a new jersey. I’m still hopeful he will stay," one fan in Burbank said.
"He is up there with all those who were able to give championships to LA. He’s a Laker. He’s a Laker for life," another fan said.
Others felt it was simply time for the Lakers to move forward.
"He’s old. He’s still good, but he’s old, so time to move on," another fan said.
Law Murray, a staff writer for The Athletic, said James’ decision to come to Los Angeles helped restore the Lakers’ prominence and culminated in the franchise’s 2020 championship.
"The Lakers were in a wilderness for a long time, especially considering their franchise history, and I hope people are going to appreciate him," Murray said.
Whether James eventually joins Lakers legends such as Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena remains to be seen.
As James begins the next chapter of his career, many fans said they hope the Lakers can once again build a championship dynasty.
"Just create another dynasty," Gonzalez said. "How amazing would that be with the Lakers and the Dodgers? A dream come true."
The Source: This story was written with information based on street interviews with fans of the Los Angeles Lakers and previous FOX 11 reports.