"If he was to do that, that would be the equivalent of KD going back to the Warriors" - NBA analyst on media backlash LeBron James could face if he leaves LA Lakers

LeBron James helped the LA Lakers win their 17th NBA championship by beating the Miami Heat 4-2 in the 2020 NBA Finals. The team had not made the playoffs for six seasons until their run in 2020.

Since that triumph, the LA Lakers have struggled. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns during the 2020-21 season and failed to make the playoffs last season.

LeBron James, meanwhile, is in the final year of his contract with the Lakers. He has clearly stated that he wants to win a few more championships before retiring and many believe that this will be one of the reasons he decides to leave LA.

However, Jalen Rose is confident that the "Kid of Akron" will not walk away from the Lakers.

"So let me get this right. You deliver a championship to Laker nation. You still averaging late 20s, one of the elite players in the game. You also have AD on the roster, a top 10 player. Y'all just brought in Darvin Ham, one of the elite young coaches in the game, and you gonna bounce?" Rose said on The Jalen & Jacoby Show.

There are several reasons for LeBron James to stay with the Lakers. He is still performing at a high level, and has a top player in Anthony Davis to support him. The team's problem last season was a lack of youngsters. To solve this, they recruited Juan Toscano-Anderson, Lonnie Walker IV and Thomas Bryant. They also have a new head coach in Darvin Ham.

According to Rose, James runs the risk of tarnishing his legacy by leaving the Lakers.

"Like this is where the social media era is gonna work against a great player like this. If he was to do that, that would be the equivalent of KD going back to the Warriors. We would talk about their greatness and appreciate it, but you won't ignore those chapters in the All-Time great books, and so I don't believe he leaves the Lakers."

LeBron James has delivered a championship to every team he has played for in the league. Despite being 37 years old, he has a lot of basketball left in him. With him on the team, the Lakers can never be ruled out

Jalen Rose believes LeBron James would only leave the Lakers to play with his son

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LeBron James is a family man. He has a wife and three children. The eldest of his kids is Bronny James. The 17-year-old is a talent who is expected to make his way into the league soon. James has been very vocal about his desire to play with his son.

A lot depends on which team Bronny gets drafted into. Considering James' stature, every team would want to have him on the roster.

Jalen Rose believes James would only play for a team other than the Lakers if Bronny was also on the roster.

"Now, obviously, if he has a chance to play with his son, then all bets are off, but then under other circumstances, just leaving because we're not good enough to win it all and he's on the team, he's not gonna be able to do it."