LeBron James considers recruiting part of his job and knows that his success in Los Angeles will be tied to how effective he is in wooing free agents, as he told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols in comments relayed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The Lakers will have the salary cap room to bring in at least one top-level free agent this summer and James will be at the forefront of the recruiting process. He feels it’s important that the Lakers show growth this season in order to aid those efforts.
“It wasn’t hard getting guys in Miami, I’ll tell you that. So now that I think being in L.A., I don’t think it would be that hard to get guys here,” he told Nichols. “But we got to win, and at the end of the day, it’s all about winning. You know, and that’s what I’m trying to do right now, is to show prospects and free agents — and at the same time, show these guys that I got right now — that we can win now, and let’s not worry about the future.”
James raised some eyebrows recently when he said it would be “amazing” to play with Anthony Davis. James was not reprimanded by the league for the comment but some people around the league felt he got a free pass. James and Davis also met for a post-game dinner last week.
James says he’s been a recruiter since his early days with the Cavaliers.
“I’ve always recruited,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get guys to come play with me since, like, 2007. I’ve got rejected a lot. But I’ve also have not got rejected a lot.”
James also revealed that he spoke with Kevin Durant after the Warriors star was quoted as saying that many young players wouldn’t want to play with him since James dominates the ball. Durant was also quoted as saying that there’s a toxic environment surrounding James’ teams.
James said Durant was apologetic.
“Got a phone call from KD,” James said. “He mentioned how he felt and how the story … how he felt the story took a twist. And as a man, I can’t, I don’t hold onto things — too long. I’m too happy in my life right now, and I don’t hold onto anything that will take away from my happiness.”
LeBron is 100% right. You succeed in this league in 1 of 2 ways. Drafting and developing all stars or getting stars to join other stars.
And doing both makes you unstoppable aka GSW
It’s 100% alright. 100% tampering.
5 minute video of interview with LeBron is on ESPN.com. LeBron said he couldn’t get guys to Cleveland. Kyrie and Isaiah expressed there opinions about Cleveland too. For everything I’ve had to take from x%sure, LordBanana, Chun, etc. Here it is from your buddy himself on video.
IMO from his comments about Jews and NFL owners this week, and comments he has made in the past, I consider him to be prejudice.
lmao ok
Lolwut
Hahahaha I bet you’ve been a easy target your whole life.
@Ptn calling someone else “prejudice” (sic). That’s a laugh. BTW put a d at the end.
Poor boy. Are those nasty boys being mean to you? Well let’s just hope the dog pees in their cocoa.
Do we need a trigger warning before LeBron articles?
Amico Hoops-LeBron: Guys didn’t want to come to Cleveland. I feel bad. lol. Kyrie has to be laughing when he sees this one. He doesn’t care what the people here think of him. lol.
Real smart. This refutes your position that James recruited players to Cleveland. He failed to do so as I have said. There are few examples if any that James impacted the roster.
Its Cleveland and they had no cap room. What do you expect
Cavs had capspace only one year in James’ 2 tenures– 2005. That year they missed on Redd & Joe Johnson.
“that we can win now, and let’s not worry about the future” Code to the young guys for let’s play hard to raise your trade value to I can get as much as I can for you in veteran trade value. Lebron has never liked younger players. Right or wrong, that is how he is. He wants players of high B-Ball IQ in case he forgets the timeout count like JR & he did in Game 1 NBA Finals last year. If I am Lonzo, Ingram, Hart, Kuzma I have to feel like Lebron & his agent are working on a trade that will probably send 3 or 4 of us packing. Happy Holidays
Pretty much all of the dudes he mentioned that he would love to play with are young dudes. Who you think he’s trying to recruit, Kareem?
I get that you’re attempting dry sarcasm but it makes no sense. You got some esplaining to do, Lucy! Nice try!
Kind of rude of Lebron to blame Cleveland for his lack of ”recruiting success” when he was there. Paul George told him he would come to Cleveland if he would commit to staying there and Lebron would give him the commitment. So I call B.S. on blaming Cleveland. Hence, PG stays in OKC, no LA to play with the King. Lebron just can’t keep his piehole shut because this can’t be going over well with the younger guys but he doesn’t care. Quote ” You know thats what I’m trying to do right now-show prospects & free agents” He didn’t say for instance ”Developing the younger core is key to our future success.” He wants AD, so he & Rich Paul are doing the math like Pelinka used to do for Kobe. Let’s see if AD does a hardcore move to force Pels into LA trade this summer. Time will tell as lebron turns 34 this month
Lmao LeBron is hilarious.
You know, Bron is right. And i gained a lot of respect for him in his playoff run last year, he was a beast at his age. I also blame my Celtics for the big 3 blueprint, but 1. Boston got lucky 2. G state was soooo good at drafting players and 3. Besides LA with Kobe after boston and the mavs beating brons first big 3 attempt, its been bron teams.
Anyway, recruiting is fine, but public weiner swinging about it only craps on the fans of small market teams .
Keep the recruiting via text, all star weekend, summer vacay or olympic team downtime. We know it happens but bron openly targeting AD is only gonna hurt the Pels. Fans might turn on AD cuz of Bron. And the brow has been adamant about doing good in nawlins. Hes capable of so much on his own. If anyyhing tho id rather see him in milwaukee with giannis after giannis said he aint leaving then made a joke aboiy AD coming.
IMO Boston did not prove big3s are poisonous because they had Rondo also, who would take on & beat defenses by himself when the old guys could not keep up. He was amazing in the 2008 playoffs.
Neither them nor the 2015 Warriors redeemed big3 teams. GSW that year was Draymond’s first as a starter and he was less prominent than Bogut (if healthy).
People will take his comments as “see stars dont want to team up with Lebron”. In reality its just not wanting to play in Cleveland. He will get a superstar to join him in LA for sure just a matter of when
Nobody wants to play with you Lebron.
ESPN: “James tried to get Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, Michael Redd and Chris Bosh to join him in Cleveland during his first stint with the Cavaliers, to no avail.”
In-state Redd and Joe Johnson took loser offers in 2005, instead of signing with the Cavs, showing why they’re losers. We (Cavs fans online) were mad about that. Redd stayed with MIL & they went downhill. Johnson signed with then-lowly ATL and they got better but eventually levelled off.
That year 2005 was the year for finding a FA tandem for James but no. There were no other seasons with enough capspace during James’ two tenures to capture that.
IDK what the years for Bosh & Allen were. James said he started recruiting in 2007 but I think that’s off. Cavs in 2005 did get Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones & Larry Hughes who helped get an EC title.
So intresting to hear lebrons mindset. I guess his end game was if he left cavs would draft talent and upon his return they would have “stars” he wanted the whole time. Thats why he and gilberts relationship is so poor because he felt they didnt market team well enough to attract free agents. I think cavs left lebron no other choice to leave. when he tried to pitch the cavs and no one wanting to join him, He knew to win more he would have to go to a bigger market.
All we need to know about Lebron’s recruiting ability is Paul george not even taking a meeting with the lakers last summer. Lebron is a circus. Some of it is the fault of the media and some of it is Lebron’s own fault. This PR blunders about the Jewish lyrics. The highly suspicious spray painting on his house. Oddly enough that was never solved. No suspects. Evidence tampered with. Makes me wonder.
What superstar wants to be in the Lebron circus? I don’t think any. They can get a Khris Middleton or Vucevic type but they’re not getting KD, Kawhi etc. and I don’t even think A Davis wants to play alongside lebron. The Celtics have better trade pieces anyway and he’s closer to Kyrie than lebron.
Ingram > tatum, kuzma > brown, lonzo > rozier you sure chief? No one wants hayward as he looks like a different player following the leg injury. Lol ad and lebron just had dinner the other night share same agent and ad just bought a house in la over the summer. The writtings on the wall you are just in denial.
Celtics have more enticing draft picks to offer on top of their young players though. Plus the Pels would much rather trade him to the East.
Yes, having all the best players on one team is the key to success.
Good thing LB doesn’t have to rely on the “Jew money” to recruit all those players pounding on the Laker door to be his teammate.
Sigh, all money is Jew money, valueless paper keeping us enslaved.