History is repeating, and this time it feels comical.
It feels like a lifetime ago when LeBron James said he was taking his talents to South Beach.
–A lifetime that included a stint in Los Angeles, which may or may not have coronated him in Lakers lore.
–A lifetime that included a COVID pandemic, the untimely passing of Kobe Bryant, blockbuster trades of Luka Doncic and Jaylen Brown, and yet another gambling scandal that rocked the league.
–A lifetime that saw Kevin Durant change jerseys more than the average person changes day-to-day shirts, and Giannis also make the transition to Miami.
And here we are again: another offseason dominated by a pending LeBron James decision. The major difference from last time is not his age; it’s that the NBA still feels the need to hit a proverbial pause button to await it. Adam Silver even said the NBA can’t release the schedule until James picks his landing spot.
This is where the NBA finds itself, anticipating a move by LeBron instead of thinking about the future, as if LeBron James is still the face of the NBA. He isn’t.
The league needs the next one, maybe thinking seriously about the guy in New York who just won a championship. Or, if it must be Wemby, let it be. Anyone else, for that matter. Even Donovan Mitchell, or on a farther reach, Cooper Flagg. Literally anyone. The fact that in 2026, the NBA acts like it’s resting its future on where LeBron James goes. That seems foolish.
Does anybody want to turn the page?
It’s not to say that what James has done in his career is not admirable. He has well-deserved his accolades, and his impact on basketball has transcended the culture, rivaling the ghost of Michael Jordan, whom most people think he has been chasing.
Saying that does not take away from what he has meant to the league. Yet, sometimes we are so desperate to hold onto the past that we can never fully appreciate what is being offered to us otherwise. It’s not 2007 anymore. It’s 2026. And basketball will go on long after LeBron fully hangs up his sneakers, and that’s the whole point.
Contrast this to the NFL. When Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were nearing the end of their careers, Patrick Mahomes was there. Joe Burrow was there. Josh Allen. Lamar Jackson. Jalen Hurts. They were all there. While the NFL never could dismiss the impact Brady or Manning had, the league knew its future was bright. The NFL moved on, and knew it had to move on.
The NBA? It struggles. The popularity of the three-point shot has made the game unwatchable at times. The referees constantly find themselves in controversy, and an in-season tournament has been ridiculed by fans and even retired players.
Then there are off-the-court issues. The gambling scandal that involved Chauncey Billups and others reads like a scene from a suspense novel from the 1960s. The NBA constantly finds itself in competition with the NFL, and if it were not for the looming work stoppage, you could add the MLB to that list.
Jalen! (photo courtesy NBC News)
That’s why the New York Knicks winning the championship did more for the league than anything else. It was new, different, fresh, and exciting. The fanbase reverberated through the airwaves, through the streets, through mainstream media, and most importantly, the city of New York erased a 50-plus-year gap since the last time it heralded a championship trophy. At the forefront of the Knicks’ success was their captain, Jalen Brunson, and nobody could be more deserving of the summer of accolades he has received.
That’s what makes “The Summer of LeBron” mystifying. It’s not a riveting documentary; it’s a stale B-level movie.
Maybe he’ll go to Cleveland for a homecoming? (He did that already.)
Maybe he’ll return to Miami and join Giannis? (He was in South Beach with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh once, or have we all forgotten?)
Maybe he’ll go North to Golden State and do a combo with Steph? (That feels like a reach. Too much of one.)
Minnesota? Denver? Philadelphia? (There’s a wheel of never-ending possibilities.)
Wherever LeBron goes will, of course, be noteworthy. It is also likely that wherever he goes will garner its fair share of publicity and attention. But at this point in his career, what can LeBron do for his legacy?
The people who think he is the greatest player of all time will continue to do so. The people who think Michael Jordan is will also continue to do so. Nothing he does at this point will change that. So what is there left to really prove? Answer: Nothing.
The NBA deciding to wait on LeBron to decide about his future is the NBA waiting to have a future. In two or three years, LeBron will be done playing basketball, but the league will still exist. At that time, will they still be searching for the next person to carry the brand? By then, without one, they will most likely make a hasty decision, and it will likely not be the right one.
Taking “History repeats” seriously can be instructive if not enlightening. This time it feels comical. The NBA sure has trouble coming up with fresh material, and the omission has negative consequences for the sport and brand.
