James and the Lakers' recent big drama, from the mountain rain to the wind full of buildings, to keep the clouds open to see the moon, only took six days, originally the plot has just been pushed to the climax, suddenly told the audience, the show is suspended to update, now not broadcast.
James' agent Rich Paul met with Lakers owner Jenny Bass, general manager Pelinka, and the two sides had a friendly conversation and agreed on the following.
1. James hopes to continue to play for the Lakers.
2, the Lakers this season's disappointing situation, everyone is responsible.
3. The goal now is to finish this season as well as possible.
4. Go all out in the offseason to find ways to improve the team's combat effectiveness.
To put it simply, now the old Zhan Lake people don't make trouble, and the lively people are scattered.
The Los Angeles basketball farce began six days ago in an interview with acquaintance Lloyd in Cleveland All-Star Weekend, where he publicly praised Cavaliers general manager Altman and Thunder general manager Presti, praised Cavaliers All-Star Garland and Jarrett Allen, and declared that the door to his return to the Cavaliers has not been closed.
Since the negative impact of the "decision" in 2010, James has become a non-chaotic person, he set up his own media strategy group, reporters want to interview him, need to submit an outline, James and his media advisers to discuss together, give a sound answer, to avoid emotional speech to bring public opinion criticism.
This interview at All-Star Weekend will obviously not be James's impulsiveness, but carefully designed, and he needs to send some kind of signal to the Lakers to express his attitude, even if this way will create a gunpowder smell of a rift in the relationship between the two sides.
James is not satisfied with the Lakers, the direct cause is that they did not do anything before the trade deadline, and Pelinka also said that this is a unanimous decision after consultation with James, which makes James feel that he has been thrown out of the pot, he has never agreed to do so, how to be "consistent"?
The Lakers management's throwing pot is not only a deal, before that, the news about James asking the Lakers to exchange for Wei Shao was widely circulated, and the source was likely to be inside the Lakers, which made James quite angry.
In the 2021 offseason, James set up a recruitment war room at his mansion in Brentwood to connect with thick eyebrows with players interested in joining the Lakers, including DeRozan and Westbrook. James did agree with the Lakers to replace Westbrook, but he also supported DeRozan coming to Los Angeles, the choice was left to management, and the Lakers chose Westbrook, which was based on Westbrook's market traffic, and his contract was one year less than DeRozan's request.
DeRozan wanted a three-year contract, which the Bulls had given him in the trade-off, and the Lakers were stuck in two years, coinciding with James' contract expiration, and they didn't know what would happen in 2023, so they decided to keep their flexibility.
This, in James's view, was wrong.
James is not interested in the future, he just wants to win in the present. When he returned to the Cavaliers in 2014, James, through Rich Paul, asked griffin, then the cavalier general manager, not to consider the luxury tax, not to retain the draft pick, and to approach the championship as quickly as possible, rather than to go step by step, so the Cavaliers exchanged the then new branch winner Wiggins for Lefour, and they sent out 7 first-round picks in james' two years of service.
In the long run, the Cavaliers did overdraft the future, but they reached the Finals for four consecutive years, won the first crown in team history, and the boss's value soared, which is perfect from the result. Competitive sports certainly believe in the process, but in the end it is the consequential theory, there is a chance to win in front of you, but you imagine the illusory future, that is also the end of the game, you see the king believes in the process for 16 years, a playoff did not enter.
What James wanted was to eat the cake directly and had no interest in participating in the painting of the cake. This is also why James is unhappy with the Lakers' zero trade, why not take the first round of 2027 signings? But Pelinka also has something to say that they have spent too much team building resources in order to exchange thick eyebrows and Westbrook, and what can the first round of the 2027 first-round pick plus Tucker and Nunn be exchanged? Wei Shaojia first round of signing for Wall, is this not "poison" for "poison", but also lose a first round of signing?
Why not wait until the offseason, Wei Shao's contract is only one year left, and the first round of signing in 2029 can also be put into the transaction, and then it is better to make a big operation?
The Lakers' plan makes sense, but what upset James is that he didn't feel a sense of urgency from management, or that the Lakers misunderstood him.
James' contract with the Lakers is different from his previous signing with the Cavaliers, he did not give himself the option to keep players, which was originally a way for James to put pressure on the team, and the Cavaliers felt a lot about it. James also bought two mansions in Los Angeles, his company has a deep cooperation with hollywood entertainment industry, his family lives here is also very comfortable, and the Los Angeles background has given Brownies a lot of exposure opportunities, and the Lakers can't help but take it for granted that old Zhan will retire as a Purple Army player.
Therefore, the Lakers sometimes reject what James wants, when the coach is selected in 2019, the old Zhan Li recommended Lu to guide, but the Lakers are unwilling to give a long appointment, Zhan Lu reunited, and nothing was found before the trade deadline, and the Lakers also turned a blind eye to James's requirements.
James's remarks on All-Star Weekend are to let the Lakers understand that this team and the city are far from locking in his future, and that older people will be kinder, but old Zhan still has a temper, and he used an interview to unilaterally provoke a "war" to make the Lakers sober.
The Lakers do not want to "fight", they are a star-oriented team, take care of the aces in the team, and then achieve a win-win situation, even if the championship can not be won, the commercial income will also make a lot of money. The Lakers cooperated with Kobe Bryant in that year, and they also issued a big contract after Kobe Bryant was seriously injured with tendons, which is a typical idea of "we know that the championship is gone, but we don't delay everyone to make money together".
Kobe Bryant's agent at the time was Pelinka, who was too aware of the relationship between the Lakers and the stars, but still underestimated James and Rich Paul, who would not accept the competitive status of averaging 29 points per game and only being a team cash cow.
Rich Paul talked with the Lakers' top management this time and reached a "ceasefire" agreement, the old Zhan side is more work and less complaining, the Lakers side must take action this summer, back to the championship track.
More sincerity, less routine, this is what James and the Lakers need to do together. In the first game after this reconciliation, James shot 6-of-6 three-pointers on 8-of-2 18, missed the final blow, the Lakers and 16 points reversed shoulders, regrettably lost the Los Angeles derby, 27-32 or the ninth in the West, this ranking to play the playoffs to win two consecutive games to pass.
Not to mention the future, just talk about the present, the Lakers are still far from the goal of playing the remaining games, don't make any more trouble, they can't afford to lose.
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