LeBron James spoke out about joining the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time Sunday on the online video platform Uninterrupted, saying that he had mixed emotions leaving Cleveland but is embracing the opportunity to play for such a historic NBA franchise.
After the Ohio native and perennial NBA all-star led the Cavaliers to their first NBA title ever and four straight trips to the league finals, he signed with Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month after meeting with team executives and NBA Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson, USA Today reported.
"This is kind of like a dream come true for me," James said of joining the Lakers in a video has received more than 197,000 views since it was posted Sunday. "You know, growing up, I was a [Dallas] Cowboys fans, I was a [Chicago] Bulls fan, I was a [New York] Yankees fan, and I've always felt like that was one of the historic franchises. You look at the Lakers, and being able to play for a historic franchise, with so much history, you know?"
"And now being able to partner with Magic Johnson, someone I kind of like looked up to when I was younger, you know, and wanted to make no-look passes like Magic, wanted to get on the break and be 'Showtime' like Magic, and then for it to all come to fruition at this point, I think timing is everything," James added.
Even though the Lakers failed to sign another superstar to go with James — opting to go instead with journeymen such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley, and JaVale McGee, according to USA Today — James called the team a "championship franchise."
"The excitement that I have to be a Laker, I'm happy to be a part of it because I believe the Lakers [are] a historical franchise — we all know that," James said in the video "But it’s a championship franchise, and that’s what we’re trying to get back to and I’m happy to be a part of the culture and be a part of us getting back to that point."
The 33-year-old, who signed a four-year, $145 million contract with the Lakers, will have his work cut out for him if he plans on reaching the NBA finals for an incredible ninth straight year.
He will be facing two-time defending champion Golden State along with the Houston Rockets, the team with the best record in the NBA last season, which are both in the same Western Conference as the Lakers.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.