Once again, Collin Sexton is late to the LeBron James party. For the second time in his NBA career, the former Alabama Crimson Tide guard arrives on a team just as the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player is leaving.
It happened before in 2018, when Sexton was selected in the first round of that year’s NBA draft, while James was on his way out of Cleveland to eventually sign with the Lakers. This time around, Sexton found his way to Hollywood by agreeing to a 2-year, $19.2 million contract with the Lakers. James, on the other hand, is leaving LA after eight seasons.
The trend prompted a hilarious comment from Sexton.
“He’s just leaving every time I arrive,” Sexton said, via Khobi Price of the California Post. “One of the other coaches made the same joke yesterday. I’ve always wanted to team up with him, for sure.”
June 21, 2018: The Cavaliers draft Collin Sexton
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) July 13, 2026
July 1, 2018: LeBron James leaves the Cavaliers for the Lakers
June 30, 2026: Lakers informed LeBron James isn't returning
July 1, 2026: Collin Sexton agreed to two-year deal with Lakers.
Collin: "He's just leaving every time I… pic.twitter.com/Up8F34b0UO
James is not going to be around the league for long, so the odds of Sexton playing on the same team with the future Basketball Hall of Famer now look even slimmer. The good news for him is that he’ll be operating in the backcourt alongside another great player in Luka Doncic.
The 27-year-old Sexton is coming off a stint with the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls last season. In 68 games split between those teams, he averaged 15.4 points and 3.3 assists, while shooting 48.5% from the floor.
