Who is David Pingalore? Closer look at NBA insider reporting on LeBron James' potential trade from Lakers

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, LeBron James has surprisingly become the subject of rumors, with NBA insider David Pingalore taking to social media. There have also been doubts about the authenticity of the rumors though, and it will be interesting to see if anything materializes.

Pingalore is a sports anchor and reporter for KTLA. He covered LeBron James in his early years with the Cleveland Cavaliers before moving from Orlando to Los Angeles.

KTLA has David Pingalore's profile on their official website as well. He is a seasoned sports anchor for KTLA 5 news and boasts over two decades of experience.

Among the sporting events that he has covered are four Super Bowls, two NBA Finals, the NCAA Finals Four, and the Daytona 500. One of his highlights is playing nine holes of golf with the legendary Arnold Palmer.

The website also indicates that before joining KTLA, he served as the sports director for a decade at the CBS affiliate in Orlando and worked in Cleveland, Johnstown, and Scranton.

Pingalore is also a Jacksonville University graduate and coincidentally started his journey the same year the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the NFL. In 2001, he took a thrilling ride as a passenger with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

Pingalore has a YouTube channel with 154 subscribers showing his anchor duties and courtside reporting from different sports like the NFL, NBA, golf, fight sports and marathons around the Los Angeles area.

Is David Pingalore's NBA rumor valid?

While many perceive LeBron James as an indispensable asset to the LA Lakers, David Pingalore has claimed that the team might consider trading him by February 8. Despite James being under a $47 million contract for this season, he holds a $51 million player option for next campaign.

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The rumor emerged when the Lakers faced the Boston Celtics, coinciding with James and Anthony Davis' absence due to reported injuries. The speculation about parting ways with James adds intrigue to the Lakers' championship aspirations.

The LA Lakers won against the Celtics even without their two best players suiting up on the basketball court.

Until the team signals a shift or the trade deadline arrives, these rumors will be accompanied by skepticism. Unless there is confirmation from other reliable NBA sources like Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, the rumors should be taken with a pinch of salt.