Last week, Lebron made the decision to leave Cleveland for the bright lights, balmy weather, and storied, staple franchise of the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers. I am just going to write what I make of his decision in my opinion.

From a city perspective, I understand his decision. Cleveland cannot offer as much as LA, being in the Rust belt, and a relatively smaller market. LA, on the other hand, can attract free agents from all over for its large market, attractions, great weather, and many business opportunities. Lebron already had two homes and a production company in LA, which is already a step ahead over Philly, Houston, and Cleveland. In addition to that, the Lakers are a renowned franchise with many previous legends, such as Kobe and Shaq, and Lebron will be adding to that as he tries to overcome the challenge of living up to the Lakers legends. Los Angeles is a great location for his family and son to play basketball as well as explore business potential for the future.

I think that Lebron put his family in this decision more so than winning. Don’t get me wrong, winning is just as important to him, but if he wanted to win a title, he could have gone to the already loaded Rockets, or the rising 76ers in a barren East. But Los Angeles would have been the better move for his family because of his kids being enrolled in better basketball programs plus what LA has to offer.

In terms of a talent perspective, the Lakers may be slightly better than Lebron’s Cavs. However, the Lakers have potential with young, blooming stars compared to the Cavs. The Lakers will have to develop Kuzma, Hart, Ball, and Ingram a little more for them to contend, but potential is there. The Lakers made smart moves by signing veterans such as Rondo, McGee, and Stephenson to serve as mentors to the younger guys. This team can transform into something special when comes the time and Lebron will be leading that charge. It seems more likely than not that Lebron will need another elite star to knock out the Warriors, but doesn’t seem likely until summer 2019. In these four years, Lebron hopes to cement another ring (or more), finalize his legacy, and possibly leave basketball on a good note. It seems nearly impossible that the Lakers can win a title next year with this roster and coupled with a stacked West. It seems as if Lebron is looking to the future by going to LA, with business and family being potential new topics to focus on come 2022.