Lakers should get rid of LeBron James after Minnesota loss, claims NBA legend

The biggest shock of the first round came with the Los Angeles Lakers’ elimination by the Minnesota Timberwolves in just five games. JJ Redick’s team was considered a contender this postseason but suffered a surprising exit. An NBA legend believes the LeBron James era in Los Angeles should now be over.

“If the Lakers want to get back to being a championship contender moving forward, you have to get out of the constraints of the LeBron era,” Paul Pierce said on Speak. “He’s had a grasp of the whole organization, bear hugging them for so long now… They have to say ‘fine, we appreciate your services, I think we should move on’, tough conversation:”

Still, the Boston Celtics legend made sure to acknowledge James’ accomplishments with the franchise. “Done some wonderful things for the Lakers organization, 100%. They’re probably going to build a statue of him outside Crypto,” he said, but insisted the franchise must think ahead with a new plan.

Pierce immediately pointed out that the Lakers’ top priority should now be building around Doncic. “It’s time for the Luka era now because I don’t know if you can play them together moving forward,” said the 2008 NBA champion. “You have to have a certain type of team around Luka to win. And him with LeBron, you won’t be able to create that.”

What’s next for LeBron James?

Following Game 5 against the Timberwolves, the main question surrounding James was whether he would make a decision about his future—especially with retirement looming considering his age. “I don’t know the answer to that right now, to be honest. We’ll see,” he admitted during the postgame press conference.

Asked about the factors that will influence his choice, the four-time NBA champion explained: “I’ll sit down with my wife, family and support group… have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.”

In the days since, another scenario has gained traction regarding LeBron and his future with the Lakers. “So, might James think about finishing his career elsewhere in pursuit of a fifth ring? When posed that question, both league sources close to James and team sources would not rule that possibility out… And that was before the revealing elimination game,” reported Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic.