Kobe Bryant said he believed the Lakers had no chance of signing LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony last summer.
That didn’t stop Kobe from making a – botched – attempt at recruiting Melo.
Apparently, Kobe didn’t put in the same effort with LeBron.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
LeBron James when asked if Kobe Bryant recruited him during free agency this summer: "No"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 15, 2015
Kobe recruiting him or not, LeBron almost certainly wasn’t going to sign with the Lakers. But LeBron reportedly has an affinity for Los Angeles, and the Lakers were reportedly prepared to let LeBron pick his next coach. I can’t say it was absolutely impossible LeBron would have picked the Lakers if Kobe made a push. Close to impossible, just not completely impossible.
At this point, I don’t know what Kobe wants with the rest of his career.
He’s getting paid handsomely, and he’s the Lakers’ clear go-to player. His fans are still fiercely loyal. It’s hardly a bad situation for him.
But the highest individual and team goals seem out of reach. He has only a slim chance of passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most points all-time, and he won’t win a sixth championship unless the Lakers add another star or two. If they’re going to do that before Kobe retires, they’ll need his help.
He didn’t recruit LeBron, but if Kobe wants to maximize his chances of another title, he better start recruiting Kevin Durant.