LeBron James made headlines in 2018 when he announced he was joining the Lakers. A logical choice for some, surprising for others, but which was the result of real reflection on the part of the Chosen One. He also revealed the details in 2019, a few months after his arrival in California. 

Whatever the context, LeBron James ‘ team changes have always attracted enormous attention. Obviously no one has forgotten The Decision in 2010, his choice to leave the Cavaliers for Miami still being criticized to this day by many fans and observers. He had to return to Cleveland four years later to remedy this situation.

We can even say that he did better than that since in 2016, the King brought his first NBA title to the Ohio city. A huge accomplishment for the franchise but also for the player, who has always been very attached to his native state and who was very affected by the wave of hatred following his departure for the Heat. Two years later, in 2018, however, it was time again for him to set sail.

LeBron’s two goals when arriving at the Lakers

Having looked into the matter at the Cavs, LBJ then had many choices available to him. We found many big markets in many markets, starting with the Knicks and the Lakers. It was ultimately the latter that the quadruple champion chose, thus arriving with great fanfare among the Purples and Golds. During an interview from April 2019, Bron discussed this decision in detail:

 
I came here for one reason and that is to play winning basketball and get this team back to where it should be. I see all these banners. I see all these banners – all these champion banners – and I want to be a part of one of them. And I also see all these banners with the great Lakers, Magic, Kareem, (James) Worthy, Elgin (Baylor), Wilt, Kobe, Shaq…
I want to be up there too. This is my motivation and I won’t stop until I put this franchise in a position to compete for a title, hopefully win one, hopefully see my jersey hung on the ceiling. 
Let us point out that the Purples and Golds were then coming out of a complicated first season with LeBron in charge, missing the playoffs altogether.

Suffice to say that things didn’t start very well but the superstar made up for it the following campaign, winning the title just a few months after the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. Back in the conference finals in 2022-23, the Californians intend to return to the throne of the big league in the months to come. 

Especially since at almost 39 years old, the future Hall of Famer is still going strong.

LeBron James had two specific objectives when arriving at the Lakers in 2018: to win a title with the Purples and Golds and to see his jersey retired by the franchise. Mission accomplished for the first, but we will still have to wait for the second. Especially since not everyone is in favor of it at the moment, his results in LA being a little mixed.