The Los Angeles Lakers got their man this NBA offseason signing LeBron James to a four-year contract. This isn't the first time the Lakers thought about talking to James during the offseason as the late Dr. Jerry Buss kicked around the idea of meeting James all the way back in 2010.
In 2010, they didn't have a chance to sign James because of limited cap space. According to Tania Ganguli of the L.A. Times that didn't stop the late Buss from wanting to just show him what the Lakers offered for later on in James career.
Buss thought about calling James anyway. Over lunch with his kids, he mentioned the idea, offhandedly.
“It’d be good to know that guy,” his son Joey recalled him saying.
League rules allowed teams to meet with any free agent. Why not meet with James to introduce him to the Lakers’ vision? Why not sow the seeds of a future partnership?
“LeBron was always somebody that he was interested in,” said Buss’ daughter Jeanie, the Lakers co-owner.
This type of story shows just how forward thinking Buss was. Just because the Lakers didn't have a real chance to get him in 2010, Buss knew how vital putting the thought in the back of James mind for later on was.
Buss isn't here now to see the fruits of his labor, but there is no doubt that he is looking down on what is being built and is proud. The Lakers have been rebuilding for long enough, and it seems like they finally might see some of the fruits of their labor.
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