LeBron James hints again at desire to play with Warriors’ stars
Lakers superstar James said he'd pick Golden State of all NBA playoff
teams to join
>Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives against Golden
State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the first half of an
NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Saturday, March 5, 2022. (AP
Photo/Ashley Landis)
>Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives against Golden
State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the first half of an
NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Saturday, March 5, 2022. (AP
Photo/Ashley Landis)
By MICHAEL NOWELS | mnowels@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: June 8, 2022 at 8:45 a.m. | UPDATED: June 8, 2022 at 8:57 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/06/08/lebron-james-hints-again-at-desire-to-play-with-warriors-stars/

LeBron James has rarely been outside the spotlight in his life.

So it must feel a bit strange for him to be at home throughout these
playoffs, rather than playing in front of thousands of fans. In fact,
James has only played six playoff games in front of fans since joining
the Lakers in the summer of 2018: He didn’t feel the rush of the crowd
during Los Angeles’ 2020 title run, thanks to COVID forcing the NBA into
a bubble environment.

The Warriors are firmly in the limelight, squared 1-1 with the Celtics
in the NBA Finals. That’s where James wants to be, and he admitted as
much in the trailer for the new episode of The Shop, his
barbershop-based roundtable show.

Asked which playoff team he’d want to join, James replied, “it’d be
Golden State.”

At this point, James’ mention of the Warriors has to be a sign of
desperation, a call for attention or a comedy bit.

James may not always speak in perfect soundbites, but he is
calculatingly aware of his public perception. He knows that mentioning a
desire to play with Steph Curry is going to get the basketball internet
churning, as he did earlier in this season of The Shop. (Curry’s
response? “I’m good.”)

“I would love getting into a pissing match with Draymond (Green),” James
said in the clip. “I love when somebody cusses me out.”

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If that sounds familiar, it’s because it happened for four straight NBA
Finals between 2015 and 2018. But maybe that animosity has turned into
admiration as James has aged and found himself in a different spot in
his career.

The Warriors’ stars may be aging, but they aren’t near James, who still
put up big stats at age 37 but couldn’t will his Lakers into the
playoffs, leaving him to pontificate from home and from the barber’s chair.

The episode, which also features rapper Fat Joe and comedian Amy
Schumer, premieres this Friday on the YouTube page for James’ production
company Uninterrupted.

[video: THE SHOP season 5 episode with LeBron James
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_bWnjU9trk]

--
Michael Nowels | Digital Sports Strategist
Mike covers sports.