Latest news with #Lakers
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
"Too expensive and too old" - Colin Cowherd predicts next season will be the last in the career of LeBron James
"Too expensive and too old" - Colin Cowherd predicts next season will be the last in the career of LeBron James originally appeared on Basketball Network. How strange is it that not too long ago, when LeBron James was keeping the Los Angeles Lakers afloat during the stretch where Anthony Davis was traded and Luka Doncic was finding his footing on a new team, the narrative around The King was that he still had what it takes to lead a franchise to a title. But fast forward just a few months and the conversation has changed drastically. Now, speculations are swirling that LeBron's days in the league are numbered and Colin Cowherd has fueled that fire by boldly proclaiming the 2025-26 season will be the Akron native's final one. Colin explains why the 2025-26 season is LeBron's "Last Dance" What makes this shift even more puzzling is that James logged an average of 24.4 points and 8.2 assists per game, earning an All-NBA Second Team selection in the process and ranking sixth in the MVP voting at the age of 40 and in Year 22. So, there's no disputing his production on the court, as he is evidently more impactful than the majority of players in the league. Not so surprisingly for Cowherd, production isn't an issue with LBJ. The real issue lies in the economics. LeBron is set to earn over $52 million in the upcoming 2025-26 season, which is currently the highest on the Lakers roster. Addressing the same, Cowherd pointed out how in a league that is focusing more on building young cores that can chase championships for more years, LeBron hinders the long-term championship window with his inability to take a lesser paycheck. "People around the NBA believe LeBron may announce this is his last season. And I do buy that for two reasons primarily. Number one: Clearly, the Lakers feel Luka is the future. Here's the other thing: LeBron's too expensive and too old. Everything with LeBron operates in the near term. Nobody operates like that now that they know what they're doing. So, LeBron's just the new casualty of the new CBA," Cowherd said. "It's not his play, he's a top 10, 12 player on any night, but he is now, hard to sign. He's an old expensive guy," Colin how long can LeBron continue? Given that the notion of Father Time finally caught up, or James' presence hinders a team, isn't a new theme. While his athletic dominance may not be what it once was, his impact on and off the court remains elite. The marketability, the ratings, the jersey sales, LeBron still draws attention like few others in sports. Thus, it is no surprise that the Lakers haven't distanced themselves from him; financially, he's still a major asset. So, yes, while it is true that Luka should be the No. 1 player for the Purple and Gold going forward, LeBron has never been a superstar who has felt threatened in passing the baton. Rather, the latter has wanted someone else to carry the team's heavy load for some time in L.A. now, while he works more without having so much ball in his hands. While things could go haywire if the Lakers fail in the upcoming season, it remains to be seen if James' high-earning salary is the root cause of story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"Next time just say 'LeBron built different'" - Gilbert Arenas trolls Jeff Teague for backtracking on his accusations about LeBron taking steroids
"Next time just say 'LeBron built different'" - Gilbert Arenas trolls Jeff Teague for backtracking on his accusations about LeBron taking steroids originally appeared on Basketball Network. Former Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas laughed at fellow podcaster and ex-Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Jeff Teague for taking a 180-degree turn after making a serious allegation against Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. During a recent episode of his "Club 520 podcast," Teague accused LeBron of taking steroids while playing for the Miami Heat. The clip immediately made rounds on the internet. But as fast as the video went viral, so did Teague's retraction. Gil couldn't help but make fun of Teague's about-face. "Man, congratulations, Jeff, they got you, man. But look, congratulations. I heard the coaches signed you as cornerback because they like how you backpedalled out of that goddamn statement. They're saying you're out here moonwalking better than Michael Jackson. Damn, Jeff, you can't say that about The King." Bron sat out three weeks Teague and his co-hosts were discussing the best version of LeBron on his "Club 520 podcast" when Jeff claimed that the Miami version of James was taking steroids. According to Teague, there was a time when a back issue sidelined LeBron, and it coincided with the NBA implementing stricter HGH testing protocols. As a result, Jeff said Bron missed three straight weeks, and when he returned, he looked much smaller than he did before he got hurt. But Teague was quick to take back his statement, claiming that he was only joking. He claimed that what he was trying to say was that LeBron was too big and too strong for anyone during that period, as if he were on something. "Jeff Teague hit us with the ol' 'my bad, Bron!' Like he ain't just accused LeBron of sippin' on that Avengers serum. Bro walked it back so smooth I thought he was moonwalking. Next time just say 'LeBron built different' and keep it pushin!" added Gil on was involved in the Biogenesis investigation Curiously, LeBron has been linked to PED use before. In 2013, or at about the time Teague claimed he took steroids, he was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency as part of a federal investigation on the 2013 Biogenesis scandal, but was cleared of any wrongdoing. A year ago, Kevin Garnett resurrected that claim during an episode of his podcast, although KG's comments didn't get smoke like Teague's did. "Jeff, you better stop it, cuz there are a few people you can't talk about - LeBron James, Bronny James. That's it. Nobody else got that power. You see, your daddy called; they got to him. Boy, you better buy your LeBron jersey, man and then sit back and be Team LeBron like the rest of us," Gil added. To his credit, LeBron has never failed any drug test conducted by the league. Contrary to Teague's claim, the NBA did not have HGH testing until the 2015-16 season or long after he left Miami. So maybe JTeague was indeed just joking when he said that about LeBron. Regardless, he made himself look foolish by issuing a baseless claim and then denying that he meant story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lakers jersey history No. 0 — Orlando Woolridge
Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary. As the Lakers approach their 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years. Here, we take a look at Orlando Woolridge, a forward who played two seasons with the Lakers. He was the No. 6 pick in the 1981 NBA Draft after a relatively quiet four-year tenure at the University of Notre Dame. His one or two pro seasons were also relatively quiet, but by the 1983-84 campaign, he emerged as a legitimate scoring option. That year, he averaged 19.3 points a game, and the following season, he put up 22.9 points a game as a member of Michael Jordan's first supporting cast. But while the 6-foot-9 forward was an exciting and very athletic player who threw down show-stopping dunks, he didn't exactly have a positive reputation. He was regarded as someone who was more concerned with putting up big scoring games than helping his team win games. Even worse, he had a well-documented cocaine habit off the court. The Lakers brought him in as a free agent in the summer of 1988 after winning their fifth NBA championship of the decade. With fan favorite Kurt Rambis departing and big man Mychal Thompson starting to age, they needed a little more depth in the frontcourt. In two seasons with L.A., Woolridge registered 11.1 points in 21.4 minutes a game and shot 51.4% from the floor. The team reached the NBA Finals in 1989 after going undefeated through the first three rounds of the playoffs, only to be swept there by the Detroit Pistons after Byron Scott and Magic Johnson injured their hamstrings. The following year, they fell in the second round of the playoffs to the Phoenix Suns. In the summer of 1990, the Lakers traded Woolridge to the Denver Nuggets for two conditional second-round draft picks. He played four more seasons in the NBA with four different teams before finishing his basketball career in Italy.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will fans of the Boston Celtics boo Marcus Smart when he returns to play with the Lakers?
Will fans of the Boston Celtics boo Marcus Smart when he returns to Boston to play with the Los Angeles Lakers? The Flower Mound native seems to think that he will in a recent interview introducing him to the local Los Angeles media as a new member of next season's Lakers roster. But what Smart may not be counting on is the fact that fans of the Celtics are a wise bunch aware of the fact that it was never the Oklahoma State alum's choice to leave Boston in a trade chosen by the team's front office in order to bring big man Kristaps Porzingis to the team from the Washington Wizards back in the 2023 NBA offseason. There may very well be some boo birds in the house, but they could easily be from the stalwarts booing the Lakers as a team or the vocal minority that did not like Smart even when he was suiting up for the Celtics. The hosts of the CLNS Media "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Will Celtics fans boo Marcus Smart when he returns with the Lakers?
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Will fans of the Boston Celtics boo Marcus Smart when he returns to play with the Lakers?
Will fans of the Boston Celtics boo Marcus Smart when he returns to Boston to play with the Los Angeles Lakers? The Flower Mound native seems to think that he will in a recent interview introducing him to the local Los Angeles media as a new member of next season's Lakers roster. But what Smart may not be counting on is the fact that fans of the Celtics are a wise bunch aware of the fact that it was never the Oklahoma State alum's choice to leave Boston in a trade chosen by the team's front office in order to bring big man Kristaps Porzingis to the team from the Washington Wizards back in the 2023 NBA offseason. There may very well be some boo birds in the house, but they could easily be from the stalwarts booing the Lakers as a team or the vocal minority that did not like Smart even when he was suiting up for the Celtics. The hosts of the CLNS Media "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
