Report: LeBron James ‘Desperately Wants To Win At The Highest Of Levels Again’

According to NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic, LeBron James “desperately wants to win at the highest of levels again.”

LeBron hasn’t won a championship since 2020. 

“As Lakers owner Jeanie Buss has always said about this partnership, James’ happiness is the key to it all,” Amick wrote. “Yet while some have surmised that James might be content coasting in these final Lakers years, enjoying all the benefits of living in Los Angeles while continuing to make his incredible mark on the league’s history books, league sources say he desperately wants to win at the highest of levels again. What’s more, James’ unprecedented play at this stage means he remains open to the prospect of playing two, or even three, more seasons before retiring.”

LeBron joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. LA missed the playoffs in 2019, won the 2020 title, lost in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, missed the playoffs in 2022, lost in the Western Conference Finals in 2023 and lost in the first round in 2024. 

The leading scorer in NBA history, LeBron averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks for the Lakers in 2023-24 in 71 games while shooting 54.0% from the field, 41.0% from 3 and 75.0% from the free-throw line.

The Lakers hired JJ Redick as their new head coach. LeBron, who is expected to decline his 2024-25 player option, was not an active participant in Los Angeles’ coaching search.

LeBron is a four-time MVP, a four-time Finals MVP and a four-time champion. He’s arguably the best player in NBA history. 

A future first-ballot Hall of Famer, LeBron has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers. 

LeBron is the only player in NBA history to rank top five all-time in points and assists, the only player to win three Finals MVPs with three different teams, the only player with 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 career assists and the only player to score 40,000 points.