LeBron James vs. the Los Angeles Lakers: Who needs who more?
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is stirring things up once again.
Following the NBA All-Star Game, which was held in Cleveland, James admitted the "door's not closed" on returning to the Cavaliers to finish out his career.
His comments sparked criticism, leading him to quickly spring into action to clarify his comments about potentially leaving the Lakers, saying he wants to be "with the purple and gold as long as I can play."
James, who becomes a free agent in 2023, added: "This is a franchise I see myself being with."
All the drama led to some debate among NBA observers: Does James need the Lakers more than the Lakers need him?
Not according to Marcellus Wiley.
On "Speak For Yourself," Wiley broke down why the 18-time All-Star needs the franchise more than it needs him, pointing to the long list of superstars the Lakers organization has produced over the decades.
"LeBron James told us a long time ago when he came to the Los Angeles Lakers that he needed the Lakers more than they needed him. Let me tell you why. At the time, he was a three-time champion. And he said, ‘I am going to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers because it's more than basketball.' Now, how did LeBron James become LeBron James to us? If you reduce everything down to its primal element, it's because he plays the game of basketball to the highest of levels. Right? So he needed basketball to become ‘King James.’
"Now, after the machinery of basketball — using that as a conduit to become the great global brand, LeBron James — you also need things to help fuel you during that process," Wiley continued. "In real estate, the three most important words are what? Location, location, location. … I remember in that moment when he said that — he's coming to L.A. for more than basketball. The same Los Angeles Lakers that — in machinery — helped Kobe Bryant become Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal become Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson become Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain become Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West become Jerry West."
On the other side, Wiley's cohost Emmanuel Acho wholeheartedly believes that it's the other way around.
"LeBron James has more fans than the Lakers do," he said. "Social media is not real life, so I hate depending on social media. But just for context, between Twitter and Instagram, LeBron James has 163 million followers. … The Los Angeles Lakers have 29 million followers. That's 130 more million people follow LeBron James than follow the Lakers. I am one of them. Where LeBron James goes, I go. He stays, I stay.
"Lakers season tickets rose 400% when LeBron James came into town — not with anybody else," Acho added. "So while the Lakers have historically been a phenomenal organization and a phenomenal brand, please do not ever get it twisted."
