On February 23, Beijing time, the 2021-22 NBA regular season ushered in the All-Star Weekend holiday. During All-Star Weekend, James spoke in an interview about his plans, saying bluntly that the future is full of uncertainty and does not rule out any possibilities. At the same time, James also said that he hopes to play in the same team as his son Brownie in the final season of his career.
James's remarks quickly caused an uproar, and many media and reporters pointed out that James's remarks were in preparation for leaving the Lakers early. Earlier in the day, Brian Windhorst read James's words.
He said: "I think the most important thing is to understand a little bit, according to my understanding, this does not mean that James wants to leave the Lakers." What he wants is a much more aggressive way for the Lakers to improve the operation of the lineup during the summer break, because they do nothing at the trade deadline. This not only made him angry, but also surprised him, and he had expected the Lakers to complete some big deal to help them. Then Davis got injured and there were no reinforcements in their squad to rely on to get through the period. His remarks and actions over the past 10-15 days have been more about warning the Lakers that by this summer break, he expects to see the Lakers make a big change in the team lineup. ”
Brian Windhorst then continued: "James was largely involved in the introduction of Westbrook's deal, which is certainly true, but nevertheless, he is ready to move on. He also disliked Pelinka's public statement after the deadline that James was in agreement with him on not making a deal. I myself have inadvertently said something in my career that James is trying to suggest but is not correct, and I have been cornered by James and his way of doing things, so I understand Pelinka's feelings, but it is clear that James does not like those words. ”
Brian Windhorst also interpreted James' desire to play with his son, saying: "Another thing I want to point out is that I know James said he wanted to play with his son Brownie, he absolutely wanted to do that, he really might be willing to go to any team to make that happen, but that was two years later, Brownie was looking for just 17 years old, and I don't know if he's ready to be in the NBA at 19." Don't confuse Brownie's entry into the NBA with James' presence on the Lakers. ”
So far this season, James has averaged 29.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1 block per game, shooting 52.2% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range. At present, the Lakers are only 9th in the West with 27 wins and 31 losses, and whether they can make the playoffs is a question mark, which also makes James's future full of uncertainty.