July 30, 2018 is a landmark day for LeBron James, as he opened his “I Promise” public school in Akron and had the opportunity to publicly explain why the project is very important to him. In addition to the magnitude of that event, the day also served as James’ first extended public comments since joining the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency and, as such, there was a bit of basketball discussion as well.
In the midst of the festivities, James discussed his expectations for his first season in Los Angeles and, in short, he indicated that the team doesn’t “have any right now.”
“I felt like this was the next step in my journey.”
–@KingJames discusses his decision to join the @Lakers and his expectations for the team pic.twitter.com/bxGnmrtmnN
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 30, 2018
“I think there’s going to be months when we’re really good,” James said. “There’s going to be months when we’re not so good. That’s just going to come from familiarity. We’re new to each other — besides Ball, Ingram, Kuz, Hart, Zubac — I believe that’s the returning class that’s there. But everybody else is also new to the system, so we’ll see what happens with that.”
Of course, the Lakers are undergoing a massive roster haul and it goes well beyond the simple addition of the best player in the world at the center. Los Angeles made a few controversial additions, ranging from Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson to Michael Beasley, but there is also the process of integrating the veterans in with the aforementioned youngsters, headlined by Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram.
That confluence has led to some mixed reactions in the basketball world, with some questioning just how good the Lakers will be immediately and even whispering about whether Los Angeles could miss out on the postseason in 2019. Still, James didn’t mince words when discussing the overall pressures that accompany a move to one of the leagues marquee franchises and that means the overall standard of championship success.
“There’s no reason you become a Laker,” James said. “You become a Yankee, you become part of Man U, you become part of some franchises and clubs and you don’t think about winning championships or winning at the highest level. That’s just what the history is all about.”
It remains to be seen as to just how successful the Lakers will be in James’ first campaign but, as usual, he gracefully evaded the temptation to raise the bar in terms of regular success expectation and pivoted to the big picture.
