The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss the news that LeBron James wants a new deal to stay with the Lakers.
For more from The Ringer:
Shop:
Website:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Instagram:
The Ringer on YouTube:
Should the Lakers Just Pay LeBron? | The Bill Simmons Podcast | Only Sports And Health
Id move AD to the Thunder hes a superstar who covers the teams greatest weakneses such a match made in heaven happens so rarely if im the lakers I want
Cason Wallace
Lu Dort
Kenrich Williams
Isiaha Joe
Ousman Dieng
3 firsts (in years picks currently arent available). after this occurs id want to make more moves. Id call up the magic and offer Reeves for Mo wagner and a second which will clear up 4 million and fill a position of need. Next id call up the raptors and see if theyd take Rui for Bruce Brown and a second toronto could lose him for mothing or they could get back a younger guy for minimal cost to the team. After these moves the team should have about 12 miion cleared in cap space and a significantly deeper team who also has the ability to draft for the foreseeable future
They are a 7-10 seed team with AD and Bron as their best players the last 3 years or so, Lakers need to make changes because this duo just isn’t working anymore. If Lebron isn’t willing take less then it’s time to move on, paying him max money only gonna continue to make it harder to build a championship roster. They can’t sign anyone, they don’t really have the assets to trade for someone who will make a huge difference
Stop the nonsense NARRATIVE!!! The big story is PED usage!!! Are you accepting 30 pieces of Silver??? And, his Court side antics with Playboy Jeanie and Autntie Scarecrow Linda is violating all ACKNOWLEDGED sexual harassment policies!!! Stop the nonsense!!!
Bill Simmons NBA opinion is garbage. He is a graduate of the Wendy Williams College of media. He sells gossip, rumors and narratives.
FUCK NO DONT PAT HIM!!!!!
They will sign him because they want him to be a Laker when he does his farewell tour.
Kobe’s last few years deserve a legitimate omission, Torn Achilles, Broken Bone in Knee, Rotator Cuff, he was legitimately finished but he wasn’t going to go out (albeit on top) after his Achilles. LeBron on the other hand is stat padding and the league cannot lose him because he makes the association and networks so much money (like MJ, Kobe and Bird did). With that being said, LeBron has been going out bad since 2018 and the longer he continues be play he moves himself down in the all-time rankings and Goat debate. He should literally take 50% less money and allow the Lakers to build a better roster around him so he can win a 5 & 6 cheap ring. Regardless, they’re stuck and won’t win.
Don't they sell out every game? He sells top five jerseys. It makes sense financially to sign him as well
My top five
1 Diego Maradona
2 LeBron James
3 Lance Armstrong
4 Marion Jones
5 Ben Jonson
This is why it’s time for him to retire th clock is on we wait for him to play with bronny for one year he earn tht and can play til tht… thn its just playing to keep his image nd money going which isn’t bad but th game becoming boring talking lebron for 20+ yrs on getting him help
team is already financially hamstrung….as someone who dislike the lakrs i say sign him to a 100million, and hamstring their ability o sign anyone else….making them the laughing stock of the league….The PED story should be in full swing by then….you don't get better as you get older!
The 2020 Lakers Mickey Mouse title means nothing. Lebron has won 3 titles in my mind. The 2020 “season” was so atrocious and ridiculous it never should have even happened.
A sign and trade would be lit. I'd love the entertainment of that.
They have a better record when he doesnt play. Most overrated player in nba history, except for marshmello amthony
The Lakers are going to destroy there organization big time if they give Lebron another max deal.
Where's the Biogenesis coverage Bill??? WTF man.
Lebron does not pass the eye test. Hes a liability on defence and stands out on the perimeter and doesn't create anything for anyone else on offence. It's crazy how you guys won't criticize him at all. Ryan will bash DLos defence but won't say shit about Lebron. He saves his energy so he can pad his stats
85 – 82 w/l with lebron smh 🤦
For lakers sake trade this dude
Lebron in LA is not about basketball, never was. It’s a money producing machine and worth every penny.
I really hope Lakers give this contract to him. Its great for the league and after what Lebron has done for 20 years he deserves that contract & life in LA! (Suns fan)
For success at this age for Lebron I think they need a lineup where Bron can be the worst defender and the worst three pt shooter of the starting lineup
How much did LeBron make the Lakers with him being there? He made way more than the three year max he wants…..
This is business… He got a good relationship with management group, he fulfilled all his obligations as the face of the team and best player… He had the top saling jersey multiple years there…. He brought more attention to that franchise globally and increased there fan base…. And lastly he brought them a chip….. play the man. No question asked…..
It depends. If you want championships, probably not. If you want to make money for your franchise, full seats, get eyes on the franchise, then sure.
I think AD gets traded.
Didn’t realize til now Simmons was so slow😂
Born & Raised in LA, life long Lakers fan & hell no we shouldn't pay Bron!!! Let Bron walk, trade AD & lets start the rebuild cuz this team sux!!! Rather have some hope watching young guys lose & progress than this mediocre shit show that is taking the court…
Simmons really does hate Bron!! He genuinely can’t stand that Lebron at all!!
THERE GOES GIL AGAIN SAYING THE WORD "RIGHT" AFTER EVERY SENTENCE
I bet Simmons isn’t taking less in any deal he negotiates..
Why don’t they talk about lebrons defense?
Those Kobe teams were going to be bad whether he got paid or not, they were struggling to surround him with a winning team before the Achilles injury
as a laker fan im fine with paying Bron, id prefer he take less, but tbh i dont see a scenario where we move on from him and the team improves over a team like the nuggets anyways
what would they be paying lebron for…to not have a good bench another year 😂 & fail at a chip
It's a brilliant move by the lakers, they took care of Kobe, now lebron, then the Next star (Giannis, luka, joining AD after born leaves) knows if they go to the lakers and WIN, they will be taken care of..
I mean. The Lakers are the 10th seed. And the whole media is talking about them almost everyday, because Lebron is there.
If Lebron isnt there, and they still at 10th seed, no one will be talking about them. The Lakers would be irrelevant to the media.
Not signing Lebron could be a good move for building championship team. But will not be a good for your business.
We could say Lebron will be benefitting also for joining new team with better chance of winning. We know he would not join a mediocre team.
What headphones are you using Bill ? Or does anyone know ??
If I were the owner of the Lakers I wouldn't resign him. Besides of the Bubbe Championship, LeBron's run as a Laker has been underwhelming. There's always an issue with him. He, through his pundits in all sports media, is always complaining about not having enough help; load managing and ducking important games; and caring more about his stat-padding than helping his teammates to be better. LeBron is an egocentric narcissist who doesn't want to be the bigger man and let the younger talent develop for the future of the team. Everything has to be for his own benefit. He disrespected Kobe Bryant by not attending to his statue reveal. He disrespects his teammates every time he walks off before the end of a game the Lakers are about to lose. He disrespects the NBA as a whole with his arrogant attitude and by proclaiming himself the GOAT. He's not the GOAT, but he keeps pushing narratives through his pundits to monopolize the discussions. All media, particularly ESPN, spend most of the time talking about this asshole instead of focusing on the young talent. For some reason, LeBron still is the "face" of the NBA. What nobody wants to admit is that under his "reign" of being the face of the NBA, the league has regressed in quality, and popularity, and has lost the respect of longtime fans that find today's NBA unwatchable. Today's NBA is all about influencers, celebrities, and podcasters, and less about professionalism and competitiveness. Players care more about their brand, money, and statistics than about competing with honor and good effort. All of that started with LeBron in 2011 with his "Decision". The NBA is a bad product. LeBron James is the poster boy of that awful product. But on TV and podcasts, people keep talking about him like he's a respected legend with a great legacy. Nobody likes him. Only his fanboys like him. A lot of Lakers fans can't stand him. The rest of the Lakers fans support him because they are supporting their team. He is a hindrance and a drag to the league. The stupid TikTok trend of a couple of weeks ago about "We Done With The 90s" came from his fanboys. Because there's no serious argument that puts LeBron over Jordan in the annoying GOAT debate, they now rely on discrediting an entire decade of the NBA. That's a symptom of LeBron's toxicity. And, of course, there's the thing about the alleged use of steroids. LeBron James is the Barry Bonds of the NBA. People want to compare him to Jordan and other legends. The only proper comparison is with Barry Bonds. Unfortunately, sports media, including The Ringer, are swallowed by the black hole that is LeNonGoat James. …. The point of all that is, the Lakers should not pay LeBron anything.
He’s averaging 25 7 8 it makes a lot of sense actually
Just gotta not think about situations like this. There’s athletes getting paid for no reason. Klyer Murray for example. People have been talking about lebron retiring he’s making a lot of money. A lot. And once he retires that might be it.
Lebron in 6 years with the Lakers has garnered one strange Bubble championship (and I'm a lifelong Lakers fan), and while he's breaking all kinds of records, those records don't translate into wins, let alone championships. If they pay him $160 mil for 3 more years, that'll mean almost 1 decade with just 1 ring, while gutting the team of all the young talents every few years, because everyone had to fit with Lebron (instead of vice versa). Then he's going to force the Lakers to draft or trade for his son, who's not NBA-ready….Time to cut the ties, Lakers. There's no future with Lebron if you're thinking championships.