Denver Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke sent Los Angeles Lakers superstar small forward LeBron James a throwback jersey over the summer in an attempt to lure the four-time MVP to come to Denver as a free agent. Kroenke and James are good friends off the court and have even vacationed together in the past.
LeBron appreciated Kroenke for the recruitment, but says he never gave much thought into signing with the Nuggets:
LeBron James on if he ever thought about signing with the Nuggets: "The owner of the team is a very dear friend of mine. So he discussed it a couple of times to me…we’ve been on vacation and things of that nature. We have a great friendship. But I didn’t give it much thought." pic.twitter.com/P4CiwDbNby
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) November 27, 2018
There were rumors over the summer that LeBron might take a free-agent meeting with the Nuggets. That never transpired. James only met with Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson in his Los Angeles home. LeBron ended up signing a four-year deal with the Lakers worth $153.5 million.
LeBron James and the Lakers take on the Nuggets Tuesday night in Denver. In 19 games this season, LeBron is averaging 28.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from beyond the arc and 72.5 percent from the free-throw line. The Lakers are 11-8 on the season and are coming off a bad loss at home to the Orlando Magic.
The Nuggets are 13-7 on the year. They currently have the third-best defense in the NBA, as they are only giving up 103.2 points per game.