The Speculation Around LeBron James Isn't Stopping Soon... Plus, Where are the New Player Rivalries?

Apparently, the Golden State Warriors are not entirely out of the LeBron James business. Jake Fischer, who works for the outstanding Stein Line Substack, noted over the weekend how the interest in LeBron James from the Golden State Warriors—which was certainly has been a low hum in the NBA discourse for a long time, getting louder periodically—hasn't gone away. Golden State will apparently be kicking the tires on LBJ for a while longer. It's a reminder that the speculation around LeBron, which is a constant anyway, is only going to get louder. Now it's not a forgone conclusion that James leaves LA after this season, for reasons explored in the episode. And it's highly unlikely, short of a catastrophic turn of events for the Lakers, that he's traded during the season (again, for reasons explained on the show). And even as a free agent, James might find that, depending on how his priorities truly shake out, the best spot for him is still the Lakers (for... wait for it... reasons explained in the episode). That news may not excite a certain section of the fanbase, no question. Meanwhile, it was a big Kobe Bryant weekend, with his birthday (8.23) followed by Kobe Day (8.24). Which got us thinking, in the spirit of the LeBron vs. Kobe rivalry the NBA could never quite make happen on the floor, but that certainly gained traction off it, where are the next great player rivalries? Is the league not as well-constructed for that type of thing now? Could the Lakers now be in a new "Rivalry Era" with Luka in the fold and the potential to generate more repeat playoff matchups with the same stars in competition with each other? HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: LBJ rumors aren't going to stop. SEGMENT 2: Where is LeBron going to be able to go? SEGMENT 3: Rivalries! Listener Survey We’ve put together a survey to learn more about our listeners and make your favorite podcasts even better. Go to https://lockedonpodcasts.com/survey/ to get started. Everyone who completes a survey will be entered for a chance to win one of ten $100 Amazon gift cards. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! OpenPhone Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/lockedonnba Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first year Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER : 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.