00:00The L.A. Lakers pretty much told everybody that they expect LeBron James to be back in the NBA next
00:05year and playing for them.
00:07Now, you can search high and low, you're not going to find that statement anywhere.
00:12I'm going to be very clear about this, so listen to exactly what I'm saying.
00:15The L.A. Lakers yesterday announced that LeBron James is coming back to play basketball,
00:21and he will be playing basketball for the Lakers.
00:24Now, they did not use any of those words in making that announcement.
00:30So, you might ask me, how do I know that the Los Angeles Lakers believe that LeBron James is not
00:35only coming back for one last year in the NBA,
00:38but is coming back to play for them?
00:41Yeah, so how do you know that LeBron James is for that?
00:45It's like I'm the sports magician today that I told you the Lakers made an announcement,
00:50but you can't find that announcement verbatim anywhere online.
00:55I'm looking for it.
00:56All right.
00:57Now, I'm going to walk you through it.
00:58As you know, the Lakers have a new owner now.
01:01The bus fam is essentially all out after selling it for billions and billions of dollars.
01:06So, that new ownership did make an announcement yesterday, late yesterday.
01:11Okay.
01:11And the announcement was we are raising our ticket prices 40% across the board for next year.
01:2040%.
01:2140%.
01:21That's a lot.
01:22Now, the Los Angeles Lakers are a playoff team this year, but they're essentially, in my opinion at least, a
01:28one and done.
01:29Maybe they win a couple games in the first round.
01:32Maybe they get really lucky depending on who they might play and even advance.
01:35But the Lakers are clearly not winning a championship, and that's not a newsflash.
01:39That's not even a knock.
01:40That's just facts, right?
01:41Yeah, they don't have the roster.
01:43They're not beating the Thunder.
01:44They're not beating the Spurs.
01:45I don't think they beat the Rockets at this point, so they're not getting it.
01:48If the playoffs started today, they'd play the Nuggets.
01:51Okay.
01:51I don't think they beat the Nuggets.
01:52I agree.
01:53And the Nuggets have kind of owned them the last few years in the postseason as well.
01:57But you don't make an announcement like that, that you are raising ticket prices next year 40% if you
02:04don't believe that there's something worth monetizing.
02:07Now, LeBron James is a free agent.
02:10They have no rights to LeBron James after this year.
02:12LeBron James, no matter where he goes, is going to have to take a pay cut.
02:17He's making 50 and change this year.
02:19All right?
02:20But why would you announce that you are raising ticket prices by 40% next year unless there's something you
02:27know that nobody else knows?
02:30Now, I know an argument could be made, much like I'd say in New York, that L.A. is immune
02:35from ticket prices resulting in a revolt or people not buying them.
02:41They are going to sell out probably every game.
02:43The Knicks, if they raise ticket prices 100%, are going to sell out every game.
02:48It's unique to major markets, right?
02:51Yeah.
02:51That have good basketball teams or a heritage of good basketball.
02:55But you don't make an announcement.
02:56You don't tell your season ticket holders that we are raising ticket prices by 40% unless you think you're
03:03going to have a moment, you know, 41 times next year that people are not going to want to miss.
03:09And I search high and low, Tyrone.
03:11The only thing I can think of that they would have in their back pocket today that would make them
03:17comfortable and confident enough to raise ticket prices 40% would be the LeBron James retirement tour.
03:24One final year, LeBron James, 41 games at home.
03:29Let's say he plays 35 of them, 30 of them, whatever it is.
03:32You know, load management, all that nonsense.
03:34Well, he's also just old.
03:35Yeah, there's nothing else you could come up with that would warrant a 40% ticket increase.
03:41They're not winning a championship.
03:43They haven't won a championship in a long time now.
03:46I don't count the bubble one.
03:47If you count, it's fine.
03:48Well, they count them.
03:50It's still what?
03:51Six, seven years ago.
03:52Six years now.
03:53Right?
03:53So, what other reason could there be for them to announce today or yesterday that they're raising ticket prices by
04:0040%?
04:00So, for those of you that are buying into the notion or narrative that LeBron, which is what he said
04:05at All-Star break, I haven't decided yet.
04:09If I'm coming back, he's decided.
04:12He's coming back.
04:13And the Lakers think he's coming back to play for them.
04:15He's coming back to play for them.
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