An ESPN report by Ramona Shelburne went to the roots of LeBron James’ LA decision. According to the story, the late great Kobe Bryant influenced his decision. Notably, the way the Lakers, even in the years of his decline treated him attracted James to the prospect of staying in California. But who says so? The Akron Hammer himself isn’t agreeing on the same.

There were reasons to find a connection in the story still. James joined the Lakers in 2018 when he was 34 years old. At the same age, the Black Mamba courageously walked off the court when he suffered an ACL tear. In his closing act back then, Jeanie Buss and the franchise showed unparalleled respect for the NBA icon, allowing him to finish his glittering career in LA no matter where the trajectory of his game went. But James never meant to join the Lakers for such security.

“I came to the Lakers cause I wanted to help Jeanie win championships, bring that Spark back to the Lakers, and see my family blossom in SoCal.” the King wrote in a revealing tweet. As a contender at heart, James’ intention to this day remains to win titles. Los Angeles hadn’t won since 2011 before the Akron Hammer arrived.

In the years since he has pushed the organization to great heights once again. The allure of a legacy franchise might have played a role. But the core reason was to reinstate glory back in the Lakers’ grasp. By helping to bring Anthony Davis, he not only achieved a title in 2020 but has essentially provided the organization with a future star to build around.

Legacy, a legend, and a championship attracted LeBron James

The writing was always on the wall. When he first spoke to the media as a Laker, LeBron James reiterated the same thoughts he did today. Although, a legend did make the process more tempting. At the time, Magic Johnson worked for the Lakers, and he was instrumental in James’ arrival.

He spoke to Shannon Sharpe about the same. His pitch involved James becoming the trigger that helps “the greatest franchise” turn their fortunes around. In that moment, LeBron James certainly saw the potential. The Lakers still had their appeal, but no real estate to propel them to a championship. James merely took on the task of leading the historical franchise back to its championship hub.

It also aligned well with his family. The City of Angels is the city of stars and attractions. Raising his wholesome clan was always in the books. But now the Lakers franchise and the city are a lot more meaningful due to what happened a few months ago. His eldest son, Bronny James officially became his teammate on the Lakers.

That feeling alone has brought back “joy” to LeBron James. Just two years ago, he sat on the podium thinking about retirement attributed to the Lakers’ postseason struggles. Next thing you know, he wants to cherish every moment he can have besides the 19-year-old. Doing it in the Laker uniform is a memory that will remain with him forever.

Unknowingly, Los Angeles might have become the most important stop in James’ career after Cleveland. Or maybe after a year with Bronny, it might climb up the ladder. He has previously spoken about how family always takes importance for him over the game of basketball. But when both his loves are in the same place, is it not a paradise for LeBron James?