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- LeBron James trade talks have been heating up this offseason
- Radio host Doug Gottlieb doesn’t believe that James is a true Laker
- Read more NBA news here
LeBron James is not a Laker. He just plays one on TV.
In an interview with LA Times reporter Bill Plaschke earlier this week, Doug Gottlieb discussed a number of different offseason talking points for the organization.
This came after Plaschke sat down with owner Jeanie Buss, who opened up about the future in Los Angeles. That future obviously centers around the team and league’s biggest star, LeBron James.
Last season was an absolute disaster for Los Angeles as they missed the playoffs completely after being dubbed preseason championship contenders. The team never seemed to gel, with many of the veteran players appearing to be past their primes.
When all was said and done, the Lakers finished 11th in the West, missing out on even a play-in opportunity.
As management decides what to do next, talks surrounding possible trades have sprouted. Most of those involve the three big players, James, Westbrook, and Davis.
Unfortunately, Davis and Westbrook don’t offer the trade value that they once did, leaving James as the only viable option if you want to land some young talent on the roster.
Phil Jackson, among others, are in favor of trading the star for a few draft picks or proven youngsters. It appears that Buss, however, wants to keep him in LA.
On Tuesday, Gottlieb weighed in with his thoughts, and he doesn’t think it should be hard for the Lakers to cut ties with LeBron at all.
Doug Gottlieb says ‘LeBron James plays for the Lakers, but he’s not a Laker’
Gottlieb says that while LeBron James may play for the team, he shouldn’t be considered a true Laker. While he’s the league’s biggest star, playing for the NBA’s most notable franchise, his history with the organization doesn’t compare to players like Kobe, Kareem, or Magic.
“At think at the end of it, LeBron plays for the Lakers, but he’s not a Laker.”
Plaschke echoed the opinion.
“You are dead on about that Doug, and I can tell you live in the area. I’m going to write this when the season starts: I don’t care if (LeBron) breaks the scoring record. I don’t care if he beats Kareem. I don’t feel connected to him in any way, and the town of Los Angeles doesn’t either.”