The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the final season of LeBron James’ contract, and there’s no clear indication of which direction he’ll go once it officially expires. One thing that’s been consistent throughout is James’ desire to compete for another NBA championship.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
James has been dealing with sciatica and has yet to suit up for the Lakers this season. Despite his absence, Los Angeles has held its own. Lakers insider Dave McMenamin recently shared the latest update on James’ recovery timeline.
“I have been told by multiple sources over the last several days that his rehab and all of the process to get back to that return date is moving in the right direction,” McMenamin wrote.
While James remains sidelined, NBA legend Charles Barkley isn’t buying the injury explanation. He believes age is the real reason behind James’ absence.
“He’s just old. Everybody gets old. He says it's sciatica. You know what that means, Dan? Yeah, I know his back hurts,” Barkley said on the Dan Patrick Show. “All old people's back hurt, Dan. All old people’s back hurt. You can dress it up like sciatica. You can come up with all these medical terms. LeBron is old.”
There’s no doubt that James is aging, but to suggest that’s the only reason he’s missing time is a stretch. Accusing anyone of faking an injury crosses a line.
James hadn’t missed an opening game in his first 22 seasons, so it doesn’t make sense to suddenly blame age now. Barkley’s take, to say the least, is an interesting one.