ESPN's Brian Windhorst is as in tune with LeBron James as almost anyone out there. He's been covering the four-time MVP for long enough to have an idea of what he may be thinking. Recently, he's suggested that James' signing with the Los Angeles Lakers was a form of waving a white flag.
Windhorst: "This is him kind of waving the white flag and saying, "alright, I can't beat ya, I'm just gonna put myself in a situation where I maximize everything for myself even though I may not be on the best team.""
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Although Windhorst is right more often than not when it comes to James, this signing doesn't feel like waving a white flag. Of course, his path to the Finals was easier in the Eastern Conference, but he may be headed to the best possible situation in Los Angeles.
The Cleveland Cavaliers would not have been in a position to knock off the Golden State Warriors even if James re-signed. Los Angeles probably isn't either with their current roster. But it's hard to believe they don't bring in another player to play alongside James.
The Lakers still might be the favorite to land Kawhi Leonard and if they do, Golden State has a worthy opponent. Without Kawhi, they probably don't have enough to beat the Warriors. But the young talent they have could blossom within the next two or three years.
But Windhorst may be right. If James wasn't waving the white flag, he would have signed with Philadephia. Joining the Sixers would keep him in the weaker East with a team that is more ready to compete with the Warriors.
The truth is, James' decision to sign with the Lakers is probably due to a range of factors. He may not necessarily be waving the white flag, but maybe bringing his family to Los Angeles permanently was more important to him than beating the Warriors.
Windhorst is spot on with his assessment that Kevin Durant has officially outmaneuvered James. Durant made his move to the Warriors and three years later, LeBron still hasn't gotten the upper hand back.
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