LeBron James, the star of the Los Angeles Lakers, is nearing the end of his NBA career. James is in his 21st season and, despite his consistent success, he has been plagued by injuries and, more recently, decreased athleticism.
James posted a mysterious message on Instagram the night after the Lakers’ January 30 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, which was likely to spark trade rumors the next morning.
It was just an icon of an hourglass.
In the 138-122 road defeat, James, 39, finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, one block, and one steal. He was open about his availability after the game.
“We could defeat any NBA team on any given night.” And then any NBA team can kick our ass on any given night,” James told reporters. That’s our current location.I have nothing to say to my teammates. Simply go about doing your work. Yes, I am not.
The reactions to James’ post became popular as anticipated on February 8th, the day of the trade deadline. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer took advantage of this to publish a story titled “Is It Time for James and the Lakers to Split?”
On January 30, O’Connor wrote, “The question now is whether the Lakers, who are tied for ninth in the West… can provide LeBron a last dance and not a sad farewell tour.””The front office must act to correct offseason mistakes and give the Lakers a shot at winning it all for the third straight season.”
James didn’t respond to O’Connor or anybody else in general. However, there was a lot of conjecture.
Fans Speculate Over Cryptic Post From LeBron James After Lakers Loss
It was actually thought by several supporters that James was hinting at a possible trade request.
One admirer quoted James’ message and remarked, “He’s asking for a trade.”
Another fan exclaimed, “BRON LEAVING THE LAKERS LET’S GOOOOO.”
James can still become a free agent after this season because he has a $51.4 million player option for the next one. However, with the trade deadline approaching, the majority of people thought James was making a statement to teammates and head coach Darvin Ham.
Someone else said, “Darvin Ham, your time is running out.”
“DARVIN HAM IS FIRED CONFIRMED AND DEJOUNTE MURRAY IS A LAKER.” Another user added, “THIS IS WHY LEBRON JAMES IS THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME.”
In the Hawks’ victory over the Lakers, Murray finished with 24 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and two steals. However, it seems doubtful that he would trade to the Lakers before the deadline because of rumors of heart changes on both sides.
Is Darvin Ham’s Replacement Already on Lakers’ Bench?
Ham has already bragged about the ownership and management’s support. He added that he kept in touch with both Anthony Davis and James. But there have also been complaints directed towards the head coach this season, including leaks from the locker room.
O’Connor said in his article that Phil Handy, an assistant for the Lakers, might take Ham’s job. Alongside James, Handy coached the championship-winning 2020 Lakers and 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.
“[Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty] Lue would never have been hired in the first place in L.A. if LeBron still had the influence he did in Cleveland when David Blatt was sacked midway through the 2015–16 season despite a 30–11 record. Additionally, by now this season, Ham would have been fired as well, most likely in favor of assistant coach Phil Handy.
What James was referring to will become clear in time.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, concentrating on the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Lakers, and Chicago Bulls. Since 2016, he has written on the NBA and NFL for FanSided, Last Word on Sports, and Clocker Sports, among other publications. Illinois’ Villa Park is home to him. Josh’s handle on Instagram and Twitter is @JoshGBuck. Additional details regarding Josh Buckhalter
