LeBron James' first season with the Lakers did not go as planned.
The four-time NBA MVP was limited to a career-low 55 games (and recently was shut down for the rest of the season), the Lakers missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year and LeBron is very likely to not make the All-NBA first team for the first time since 2007.
He recently told Howard Beck of Bleacher Report that when it comes to the Lakers' recruiting efforts this summer: "I will be as active as I need to be for this franchise to get better."
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On Thursday's episode of ESPN's "The Jump," Rachel Nichols asked Brian Windhorst if he believes LeBron will "actively recruit" some of the elite free agents this summer.
"Historically, LeBron has sort of been involved but not all the way involved, because he doesn’t necessarily want to be known as the guy who couldn’t close the deal," Windhorst said. "He doesn’t want it to all to be on him.
"LeBron has perfected the art of influencing deals without taking ownership of them. Of course he will reach out to free agents. Of course he will try. The ability for him to close deals -- that’s different."
Now, to the reason you are reading this article:
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"And in all honesty, he’s been recruiting players to come and try to be in 'Space Jam' with him this summer, and he hasn’t been able to close some of those deals," Windhorst revealed. "Some of the top guys he wants to come and be with him in the movie … 'You put me in the movie where you’re the star, I’m gonna be the one you're dunking on.' "
[RELATED: LeBron's championship this year is 'Space Jam,' ESPN reporter says]
Hey Mr. Windhorst, you care to share the names of any of those "top guys?"
"I’m not gonna get aggregated," he told Nichols. "I am not gonna say right now. But let’s just say it’s the top players."
Filming and production for "Space Jam 2" is scheduled to start this summer. The movie is slated to be in theaters in July 2021.