For more than a decade, LeBron James shaped one of the NBA's biggest rivalries with Stephen Curry and the Warriors. Now he's gone, and two teams are undergoing dramatic transformation.
In the first hours after a playoff exit, there is little room for reflection. Austin Reaves and LeBron James knew their futures were uncertain last May, so they said their goodbyes in the Lakers' locker room. "I wasn't a LeBron fan growing up. I was a Kobe guy," Reaves told ESPN. "But then getting to know him as a human was one of the coolest things I've been able to experience."
Reaves had hoped they would both return to the Lakers. He also understood the financial and roster-building reasons behind James's decision to leave Los Angeles for Philadelphia. Reaves signed a four-year, $180 million deal to stay with the Lakers, while James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Sixers. Reaves said he still texts James often and misses him deeply.
On opening night, Lakers star Luka Doncic tried to step into the leading role, taking out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times addressed to fans and offering free parking and bike rides to the game. Golden State coach Steve Kerr, whose Warriors faced James's Cavaliers in four straight Finals, said the rivalry's history will last. "That was an iconic era for both teams," Kerr said. "This is a new Lakers team, and a new Warriors team."
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing