LeBron James’ arrival to the Los Angeles Lakers six years ago brought immense excitement to fans. However, recent reports suggest that James had a different motive for joining the iconic franchise, unrelated to winning titles. Fed up with the rumors, LeBron has finally set the record straight.

James signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 2018, after completing his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. At the time, his agent, Rich Paul, explained, “In 2010, when he went to Miami, it was about championships. In 2014, when he went back to Cleveland, it was about delivering on a promise. In 2018, it was just about doing what he wanted to do.”

However, ESPN senior writer Ramona Shelburne recently claimed that James had more personal reasons for his decision. “Part of the reason James came to the Lakers as a free agent in 2018 is the standard of care they showed during the final seasons of Kobe Bryant’s career a decade ago, sources said,” Shelburne wrote in a recent article.

LeBron’s fiery response

In the piece, Shelbourne added, “James liked playing for an iconic franchise as much as he liked how it treated its iconic players.” But the King was quick to shut down the reporter’s claims, insisting that his only motivation for joining the Lakers was to continue winning championships.

In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, James refuted Shelburne’s statements, saying, “I came to the Lakers because I wanted to help Jeanie (Buss) win championships, bring that spark back to the Lakers, and see my family blossom in SoCal.”

The Lakers forward included the “cap” emoji in his post, signaling that the ESPN reporter’s version of events was false. James further clarified, “Why would I make a decision based on how someone else was treated? Mama always said, ‘Stay out of grown folks’ business.'”

Bryant’s final years with the Lakers

Kobe Bryant, who spent his entire career with the Lakers, joined the team in 1996 and retired in 2016, winning five championships and earning two Finals MVPs. However, in the final three years of his career, Bryant struggled physically after suffering an Achilles tendon injury in 2013, from which he never fully recovered.

Despite Bryant’s declining form, the Lakers made headlines by offering him a lucrative contract extension. Although the decision was controversial at the time, years later, fans and analysts agree that it was a noble gesture by Buss and the organization, allowing Bryant to retire with the team he loved, regardless of his physical limitations.