Mychal Thompson (2x Lakers champ) on ESPN LA calling out Lakers fans booing LeBron's decision, 'they're idiots':
"If any Laker fans are offended, or bothered by LeBron's decision, they're all a bunch of hypocrites and they're idiots.
Think about it, every one of us has made a decision, a business decision to better ourselves, to put ourselves in a better situation, to go to another job that's better for us or our family. That's all LeBron is doing, putting himself in a better situation. He thinks he can win a fifth ring, playing with a big four in Philadelphia.
And we've all changed jobs. We've all taken another job because we thought it was a better situation for us or for our family. So that's all these athletes are doing, deciding to go work somewhere else because it's better for them and their family.
And every one of the Lakers fans, I'm sure who boo him, if they do it, have made that decision themselves in their professional lives. So they boo LeBron because he decided to go work someplace else? They're hypocrites. Because I'm sure most of us, 99% of us have done that. Let's stop being so offended and sensitive about it."
Brian Windhorst on Charles Barkley comments saying LeBron James stacks every team he goes to:
“Where does Charles and the legends want LeBron to go? Do they want him to go to the G League? Because if he went to Cleveland is that team stacked? Is Miami with Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo is that team stacked? Jokic and Jamal Murray is that team stacked? Ant Edwards, Rudy Gobert I don’t know he left Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is that not? I don’t understand the premise of the complaint.”
This is why nobody takes these LeBron haters seriously.
If the Clippers had won the 2020 championship, it wouldn't have been called a "bubble ring." Instead, the narrative would have been that Kawhi Leonard won championships with three different franchises and earned Finals MVP with three different teams.
The standard only changes when it's LeBron.
Shaq defends LeBron’s decision to chase another championship:
“Those who haven’t achieved greatness call it ring chasing because they haven’t achieved greatness.”
(h/t @0xBassey)
James Worthy on the LeBron era: the Lakers were "misery" before he arrived. (via TMZ)
“ I only think about what we were like before Lebron came. It was misery. It was misery. We weren’t getting in the playoffs, we weren’t winning. We were trading a lot of players away. So, you know, for what he brought to us, he’s a huge draw globally. We didn’t win the championship, it was in the bubble, however. But, you know what look, for what he did for LA while he was here, I don’t think you can argue.
During the season with the Lakers, LeBron was “washed up” & made them “worse”
Now he signs with Philly he makes them a “superteam”
Y’all are shameless…
Shaquille O’Neal says LeBron James should chase another championship, not worry about the critics
“I think he’s going to go somewhere he can win another ring.”
“Maybe Miami. Maybe Golden State. Maybe even Philly.”
“Once we’re done playing, we can never play again.”
“You never want to retire saying, ‘I should have done this. I should have done that.’”
“A lot of haters call it ring chasing.”
“But you’re supposed to chase rings.”
“If you chase rings and accomplish getting them, that’s what we call greatness.”
“Those who haven’t achieved greatness call it ring chasing because they haven’t achieved greatness.”