"Stay out of grown folks business": LeBron James calls cap on Kobe Bryant's treatment influencing blockbuster Lakers move

LA Lakers superstar LeBron James shot down the notion that he joined the 17-time NBA champions because of how they took care of Kobe Bryant in the late stages of his career. The four-time NBA champion took to Twitter to call cap on this report, instead saying that he wanted to bring more success to this franchise and win more championships.

"🧢. I came to the Lakers cause I wanted to help Jeanie win championships, bring that Spark back to the Lakers and see my family blossom in SoCal. Why would I make a decision on how someone else is treated. Mama always said “Stay out of grown folks business”. 🤷🏾‍♂️," James posted on X Saturday morning.

This post came after a report from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, which suggested that James signed with the Lakers after seeing how well they managed Bryant's final seasons.

“Part of the reason James came to the Lakers as a free agent in 2018 is the standard of care they showed during the final seasons of Bryant’s career a decade ago, sources said,” Shelburne wrote. “James liked playing for an iconic franchise as much as he liked how it treated its iconic players.”

Kobe Bryant tried to win more championships at Staples Center, especially when he tried to join forces with Chris Paul at the start of the 2010s but the league vetoed the potential trade.

Following his Achilles injury, Bryant was never the same, but the Lakers made sure to accompany him during his latter years. While LeBron James may have witnessed all that, he was not in the same position as Kobe when he joined the Lakers. Even six years later, the forward remains focused on winning championships, having already brought the 2020 title to SoCal.

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LeBron James says it's unfair to put expectations on the Lakers

Ahead of the preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeBron James talked about the Lakers' expectations for this season. James refused to engage in that conversation and focused on the team's preparations.

"I don't have any expectations, and that's unfair to put any expectations on us right now," James said on Tuesday (via The Athletic's Jovan Buha).

"The only thing that we can count on each other is how we come to practice and come to work every day. And trust the process and get better every day. And that's what it's about."

The Lakers will tip off the 2024-25 NBA season against the Timberwolves on Oct. 22.