Rob Pelinka would ‘love’ to have LeBron retire as a Laker

All offseason, LeBron James and his future have been a constant topic of conversation.

The facts are that he opted into his player option and remains a top-10 player in the NBA, so it’s clear that he’s highly valued and will be returning with the Lakers.

Since LeBron opted into the final year of his deal during the summer, there hasn’t been an opportunity to speak with him or the front office regarding the situation.

On Thursday, Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick spoke with the media ahead of training camp next week. Pelinka cleared up some of the situation between the Lakers and LeBron, stating emphatically that they’d love for him to end his career in a purple and gold uniform.

“We would love if LeBron’s story would be to retire as a Laker,” Pelinka said. “That’d be a positive story.”

Pelinka also added some further clarity into the team’s thinking, which revolves around the fact that they want LeBron to go out on his own terms, however that may be.

“The first thing we want to do in terms of LeBron and his future is just give him absolute respect to choose his story with his family in terms of how many years he’s going to continue to play,” Pelinka said. “He’s earned that right and he’s the best one to talk about that in terms of how many years he’d like to play.

“In terms of the future, obviously, again, with what I started your question with, first things first would be for him to be able to make the decisions he wants to in terms of how long he wants to play. We’re going to continue to honor and respect and let him speak into that.”

The Lakers are a franchise that always takes care of its superstars. Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson spent their entire careers in Los Angeles. Near the end, the team still gave Kobe a big contract while Magic was given an ownership stake in the team and has been around the Lakers long after the abrupt end to his career.

LeBron might have had other teams that he’s called home, but he’s been the leader of the Lakers long enough to establish similar respect, admiration and power. He arrived in Los Angeles when the team was a lottery-bound roster, helped turn things around, ushered in a new era and raised another banner as the top guy.

So, he’ll have total say in how his story ends, and if the Lakers have their way, it will finish in Los Angeles.