LeBron James’ former teammate said that if La Lakers hadn’t traded much, the goat conversation would have concluded.
The 40-year-old is currently in four NBA championships, falling behind two Michael Jordan.
The two are often against each other in goat conversations, and many have given his air an edge for the six championships he won with the Chicago Bulls.
The media narrative has fought two against each other, but Jordan has shown in the past that he respects LeBron James and his game, which has been confirmed in one of the works written by Elliot Burns recently.
But his 21-time All-Star former teammate came out and said the debate would be over if the LA Lakers didn’t make a massive deal.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was part of the LA Lakers team that won the championship in 2020.
James was the MVP of the final that year and played great with KCP.
The following season, the Lakers failed to pass the first round, which led the front office to defeat the team and send Caldwell Pope and Kyle Kuzma to the Washington Wizard in exchange for Russell Westbrook.
Speaking about what happened if trade did not happen, Caldwell Pope said:
“We were hanging out with each other, invited by the court to each other’s houses.
“They were my siblings. I spent more time with my team than my family… I think if we had that team together, we’d run two more.
“There’s no more goat talk. It would have put (LeBron) on the six.”
The Lakers had a well-balanced roster, including KCP, Alex Caruso and Dwight Howard.
However, they decided to give up after a bad postseason run and brought Westbrook to LA by swapping two important pieces.
When Westbrook appeared on the team, the Lakers made the 2021-22 season miserable and didn’t make the playoffs, but Caldwell Pope headed for the Denver Nuggets a year later with the Washington Wizards, winning the championship in 2023.
Rob Perinka made it clear that he is doing his best to get another ring to LeBron James before the team can call the time of his career.
Doncic’s move was a step in the right direction, but there’s still work to do to James add another championship to his name.
Pelinka has revealed plans to add centers in the offseason, which can help James a lot, but the Lakers need another reliable shooter game to make them a championship competitor.
Many rumors have shown that Austin Reeves could be out, but that’s not something the Lakers consider without a big name.
James is still playing at a high level and is expected to return for the next season.
His status regarding his contract is still unknown, but Shams Charania has made it clear that Lakers players are likely to opt in.
James could help his team save more than $100 million if he signs the veteran’s lowest signature, but James seems unlikely to take that option.
It makes things difficult for the front office, but the Lakers are still a big market team, attracting some big stars, especially with James and Don Sic.