Lebron James, known to fans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as “King James” and “the Chosen One,” struck a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers when he signed a four-year contract for $154 million on July 2. Basketball fans attending BYU-Hawaii explained James’ overall performance on the basketball court, speculated on the future of the Lakers, and James’ impact on the team.
Commenting on James’ decision to move to the LA Lakers, Ezrym Ellis, a freshman from New Zealand studying exercise science, said, “It’s almost too good to be true that he would go to the Lakers. The Lakers is a big market team.”
Nick Kitchens, a freshman from Utah studying business, voiced his opinions about James’ choice on transferring to the Lakers. “I have never really liked Lebron James to be honest, but having James come over to the Lakers has made me very happy. We needed someone to fill in Kobe’s spot. I think Lakers fans will receive more wins.”
Sports Illustrated put James as the top player in the NBA in a list along with Kevin Durant in second, and Stephen Curry in third. The latter two coming from the Golden State Warriors. ESPN listed James’ stats as 27.5 points per game (PPG), 8.6 rebounds per game (RPG), and 9.1 assists per game (APG).
Sports Illustrated reported, “James maintains the No.1 spot on this list for the fifth straight year. Because he continues to consistently reach heights that no other current player and virtually no other player from any era can touch.”
Commenting on James’ overall performance, Ellis said, “He’s the best player in the world, despite losing the most valuable player (MVP) award. Any team he goes to will increase wins. Just look at his rookie season and the season before that.”
Stating his reasons on why James is a great player, Ellis said, “He can play all positions. High IQ. Good teammate. Good stats. That’s right, 6 foot 8 220 pounds. Versatile.”
Speaking on James’ potential contribution to the LA Lakers, Chun Yau Yip, a senior majoring in accounting from Hong Kong, said, “I think he is the best player in NBA now. He contributes a lot for every team he has ever played for. I expect the Lakers will be the top three in the West next season because James leads the team.”
Kitchens said, “James is the king. He’s been to the last eight championships. Winning is his nature.”
ESPN reported the Lakers has had great basketball stars like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Magic Johnson to name a few. On talking about his favorite team, Kitchens said, “I love the Lakers, I’ve been a lifelong fan of them. I like the Lakers because I was born in LA, and I’ve always been a big fan of Kobe Bryant. So, the Lakers is stuck on me from the early 2000s until now.”