00:00The phrase that has been used is, and I quote, not in the cards.
00:05There is no universe that the one and only LeBron James is going to take a veteran minimum,
00:10which does bring up a few questions about the Lakers' future.
00:13Now, you and I have talked already ad nauseum our first two shows about whether or not the Lakers should
00:18go after him.
00:19I obviously think they do.
00:21I think he ends up back here in Los Angeles.
00:23But the question is, is how does it all work out with the Austin Reeves of it all, getting some
00:27extra pieces of it all?
00:28You mentioned DeAndre Ayton of it all, as well as another name, and Rui.
00:32Like, there's guys they need to figure out going forward.
00:37And obviously, a veteran minimum would be a great way to help the team out if you're LeBron James.
00:43What would you do?
00:45Is a veteran minimum just beneath you?
00:48I mean, it's not a beneath thing.
00:50It's a value proposition.
00:53It's like, Shohei Ohtani is younger than LeBron, but his production level would never put him in a situation where
01:02he accepts the veteran minimum contract in baseball.
01:06You're not wrong.
01:07Now, if we can defer some compensation, but you're going to pay me at the level that I'm capable of
01:13producing at.
01:13Does the NBA allow that, the way Major League Baseball does?
01:16Because, like, you know, Major League Baseball doesn't have a salary cap, at least as of right now.
01:20And, by the way, don't worry.
01:21Throughout the baseball season, we'll get into why baseball should never have a salary cap and how the Dodgers are
01:26being used to actually implement one.
01:29However, with the structure of the NBA, are they allowed to defer money the way that Shohei Ohtani's – because,
01:37you know, Shohei's getting paid $2 million a year right now by the Dodgers.
01:40Granted, he's making, like, $64 million by New Balance a year, and then also he's going to make the rest
01:45of his $680 million starting in eight years.
01:50Can you defer contracts like that in the NBA?
01:53Not at that level.
01:54Okay.
01:54But you can defer some of your compensation, just not at that level.
01:59But, yeah, but just my point being, like, you wouldn't ask a player to do that that is that capable,
02:06that still sells tickets, brings all the parking in, all of the nationally televised games.
02:13Like, that's all related to specific players.
02:15And LeBron is still one of those guys that creates that value for franchises and organizations, the home teams and
02:22the road teams.
02:23Because, like we just got through talking about, when the Dodgers go to San Diego, a big reason why they
02:28go is because Freddie Freeman's on the team.
02:31Shohei Ohtani's on the team.
02:32Mookie Betts is on the team.
02:34Those guys don't take veteran minimum.
02:36No, they don't.
02:36It's the team's responsibility to build out a roster that allows you to compete and win at the highest level.
02:45And then the numbers kind of, the reason why Shohei, as far as I know, structured his contract in the
02:53way he did is because that would give the team the best chance to put together a World Series winning
02:59roster.
02:59Oh, and they have.
03:01And they've done that.
03:01So, for LeBron to, I think the number that he agrees to with anybody is going to be based on,
03:08can you put together an NBA team that can win a championship?
03:12That's how I'm going to base what I signed for.
03:16And that's it.
03:17And I don't know if any situation will require him to accept veteran minimum.
03:21Yeah, I have trouble getting there, too.
03:23And I agree with you on this massive fact.
03:27It's the fact that you're paying, you've got to pay the value of what the guy's actually worth.
03:31And everything you said about LeBron James is still there.
03:34Let's forget about just the on-play on the court.
03:37On-play on the court is still what it is.
03:39I mean, the guy is still averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists.
03:44That is worth more than veteran minimum.
03:46Yeah, nobody, take the age out of it.
03:49Nobody's taking veteran minimum that just had a season with those numbers.
03:52Yeah, those numbers.
03:53And then you mentioned the parking.
03:55Then you mentioned the jersey sales.
03:56Then you mentioned what just the cachet that LeBron James brings.
04:00And also the fact of how much money this team will make if it's officially announced that it is going
04:05to be a retirement tour, quote-unquote.
04:08Whether it's, listen, do you think, how do I phrase this?
04:11I'm not saying that LeBron wants a retirement tour.
04:15I do think we're getting one because the NBA wants a retirement tour.
04:22Maybe some version of it that they'll talk about and discuss.
04:26They want to honor the legacy, you know, that he's, you know, rightfully established for himself.
04:35But to me, yeah, I just, LeBron's too much in the present.
04:39I don't think he makes a decision before the season starts that this is going to be the last year
04:44in that way.
04:46Because as soon as you start to think that, it's over.
04:50Yeah.
04:51It's over.
04:52If you go into the year already knowing this is it for you, it's over.
04:58You should just stop.
04:59It's kind of tricky, isn't it?
05:00And it also leads to these expectations, because here's the thing, it makes me automatically sad sometimes when we get
05:06a retirement tour of that.
05:07Because the Lakers are trying to compete.
05:09The Lakers are trying to win the NBA Finals.
05:11The Lakers are trying to be the Lakers.
05:14Whenever you get a retirement tour, it's usually on a team that's not necessarily competing.
05:19I'll give an example, like a retirement tour we had not super long ago, like Derek Jeter.
05:23Derek Jeter played on the New York Yankees.
05:26Derek Jeter went to a retirement tour, and it was weird, because the Yankees were not very good that year.
05:32So watching a retirement tour around a storied franchise honestly made me sad.
05:39Because I've kept thinking, like, this is a formality, and we're not actually playing for anything.
05:43It felt like watching an exhibition or an old-timers game, which is ridiculous.
05:47It wasn't one, but that's how it felt watching it.
05:50Yeah, I mean, pro athletes, you know, every day, all of us, like, the people that are watching or listening
05:58to us right now are like creatures of habit.
06:01And retirement tours are nothing like your normal routine.
06:05Yeah.
06:06It's like everything's different.
06:08It's out of whack.
06:09There's way too many photographs and conversations about throwing dust on you when you're gone, and we're going to miss
06:16you, and all these things.
06:17I mean, we kind of had one last year, by the way.
06:19We did kind of have a retirement tour in L.A. last year with Clayton Kershaw.
06:23And here's the thing.
06:24It wasn't sad, because, one, they won a World Series, and Clayton wasn't the same guy.
06:28He was kind of, you know, more in the background a little bit.
06:31Got a couple innings here and there.
06:33But even when he was thrown out there to pitch, it was like, this shouldn't be happening.
06:37I think Clayton should retire two years ago.
06:41Did he say that during the season, though?
06:44Had the season already started?
06:45Yeah, he made it abundantly clear he was calling it a day.
06:48But he didn't necessarily retire.
06:49Then he did come back and play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this year.
06:53Listen, Clayton Kershaw, he's one of those guys, though.
06:56Like, he's a name that you want a retirement tour, you get a retirement tour.
07:00Yeah, but I think in baseball, it's slightly different, in particular, I think, if it's a pitcher.
07:06I mean, you can tell me, like, if you play a position, outfield, infield, and you're an everyday guy,
07:13it's tough to have a retirement tour when, like, you're supposed to be taking ground balls to get ready for
07:19the game.
07:20And you got 100 cameras around you talking about what you're going to be doing when you're finished playing.
07:26No, no thanks.
07:27And I don't think LeBron necessarily wants to deal with all of that.
07:32Like, the only reason he's still playing is because he knows he can produce at the level he just produced
07:38at 41.
07:39Those numbers, man.
07:40So, retirement tours take away from that.
07:43To your point, sure, the league may, yeah, they'll talk to him, his team, his family.
07:49They'll figure out maybe a way to honor him.
07:51Maybe it's a big All-Star weekend thing.
07:54But then, like, I don't know, man.
07:56It may be certain nights on national TV, you know, but you can't do a 41 game every arena you
08:04go to.
08:05They want to do a whole thing.
08:07I agree.
08:07That's too much.
08:08I think it's too much, too.
08:09But I did hear a rumor.
08:10I did hear a rumor.
08:11This is a Hollywood town, man.
08:13And listen, sometimes, sometimes you rub shoulders with people that work in the business.
08:17And I heard a rumor that LeBron's already been filming his version of The Last Dance for, like, the last
08:23year.
08:23I mean, that's fine.
08:24Oh, no, I have no problem with it.
08:25I look forward to seeing it, in fact.
08:28I mean, that's behind the scenes.
08:30Like, you have to, I mean, think about the home videos you wish you had back of you and your
08:35son.
08:36Come on.
08:37I mean, I can only imagine what that's like to be having a film crew being able to show the
08:43alley-oop you threw your son in a playoff game.
08:46Yes.
08:47So, like, all of that is fine.
08:49Capture all of the moments.
08:51But most of the time when they do kind of the behind-the-scenes doc in those ways, a lot
08:57of it is light touch for the actual on-screen talent or the player, right?
09:03Like, they're filming them.
09:05They're following them.
09:06You know, maybe they're mic'd up in certain situations.
09:09But it's not something that, like, right before the game, they're spending 30 minutes, you know, just talking about, you
09:17know, we're going to miss you when you're gone.
09:18And, you know, hey, we're presenting you with this set of golf clubs and this rocking chair and the sleep
09:25mask that you're going to use because you're going to be sleeping all day.
09:27Although a new set of clubs ain't back.
09:29No, it's not.
09:31But not before I get ready to play, you know, against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
09:36Yeah.
09:36I don't want to be thinking about golf clubs.
09:39We're trying to win this game.
09:40So, it's just those are the things that come to mind for me that I don't necessarily see LeBron wanting
09:46to do all season long.
09:50But who am I?
09:52I don't know.
09:53I mean, you're somebody.
09:55I am.
09:55I do somewhat value the opinion.
09:57I just don't know.
09:58I don't have the answer.
10:00I just, this is my opinion.
10:02Right?
10:03So, it's what I think.
10:04Well, speaking of opinions, we want your opinions right here on 97.1 The Fan.
10:10855-97-LA-FAN.
10:12That is our phone number.
10:13Get on the line.
10:14855-975-2326.
10:17And also give your opinions on the YouTube channel right now because the chat is absolutely live.
10:23And speaking of opinions, Nemo Los Angeles just drops this dime.
10:28And I just react.
10:30I just want you to react to it.
10:32LeBron needs to go.
10:35All right.
10:37We had a caller yesterday call in kind of say something similar.
10:40Saying that LeBron needs to go in this goat conversation.
10:43Now, we're not having the goat conversation right now.
10:46I just want to have the conversation of, is there a world where the Lakers could be better without LeBron
10:53next year?
10:54Sure.
10:55I mean, there's a world that exists where that could happen, yes.
10:59I mean, teams have moved on from great players in the past.
11:03I don't think that's necessarily the issue.
11:05I think it's more when people talk about LeBron needing to go or should go, et cetera, it's like it's
11:13coming from a negative place.
11:16As opposed to, like, there could be some positives, sure, from a salary cap perspective, from a personnel perspective.
11:25You know, you could build the team in a different way.
11:28All of those things can be true, but let's not try to be in such a rush to make it
11:34seem like all the Lakers' problems center around what LeBron does or doesn't do.
11:41That's not accurate.
11:42That's my only point.
11:44Sure.
11:45Like, a lot of teams can, you know, make decisions and move on from different players.
11:49And, you know, at some point you have to turn the page.
11:53I mean, you know, we saw it with, you know, Kobe chose to retire in 2016.
11:58Like, yeah, you have to move on.
12:00We get that.
12:01But, yeah, all the Lakers' issues are not LeBron-related.
12:08And so the world isn't going to just all of a sudden turn to sunshine and rainbows after LeBron retires
12:13or leaves.
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