A former rival of both LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers believes both sides would be better off going their separate ways.
Questions abounded on James’ immediate future following the Lakers’ first-round playoff exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
At 40 years old, LeBron’s eventual retirement looms large over the Lakers organization and the league at large. The expectation is that James, who holds a player option for the 2025-26 season, will play for “at least” one more year.
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce thinks the Lakers should let James close out his career elsewhere. Pierce made the case during a recent appearance on FS1’s “Speak.”
“If the Lakers want to get back to being a championship contender moving forward, you have to get out of the constraints of the LeBron era,” said Pierce. “He’s had a grasp of the whole organization, bear-hugging them for so long now. He’s done some wonderful things for the organization … But they have to say, “Bron, we appreciate your services. I think we should move on.’ Tough conversation.”
It’s hard to call Pierce an impartial analyst when speaking on either the Lakers’ or LeBron’s affairs. On top of starring for the Celtics for most of his career, Pierce won the 2008 NBA Finals MVP award in an iconic seven-game series win over a Kobe Bryant-led Lakers squad. Pierce has also had several duels with James during the late aughts and early 2010s.
However, Pierce’s argument does seem to hold some truth. The Lakers acquired Luka Doncic with an eye toward a future where Doncic, not James, is the center of the team’s universe.
While the James-Doncic duo has had its moments, Luka was forced to play off the ball much more than he’s used to since entering the league. Putting the ball back in Luka’s hands, both literally and figuratively, could be seen as a step in the right direction.
