LeBron James Rips Kobe Rumor as '🧢' for Why He Left Cavs to Sign Lakers Contract

Los Angeles Lakers star and NBA legend LeBron James denied a report Saturday that the Lakers' treatment of Kobe Bryant at the end of his career contributed to his decision to sign with L.A.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne released the report Friday, writing: "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. James liked playing for an iconic franchise as much as he liked how it treated its iconic players."

LeBron took to X to give his side on Saturday, writing that winning championships for owner Jeanie Buss, bringing the Lakers back to prominence and family were his primary motivating factors:

Now, the 39-year-old James is set to enter his seventh season with the Lakers, which will tie his first seven NBA seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers for his most consecutive campaigns played with the same team.

Prior to James' arrival in 2018, the Lakers were in the doldrums, as they had missed the playoffs in five straight seasons.

They also missed the playoffs in LeBron's first season with the franchise, but they won a championship the following season after the addition of Anthony Davis, and they have now reached the playoffs in four of the past five campaigns.

James has helped bring back some of the glory the Lakers experienced during Bryant's 20-year run with the organization, which featured five championships.

Kobe, who died tragically in a helicopter crash at the age of 41 in 2020, is among the most accomplished players in NBA history, and he did it all in purple and gold.

In addition to winning five NBA titles, Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP and one-time NBA MVP.

Bryant averaged 27.3 points per game in 2012-13, but he suffered a torn Achilles the following season that limited him to only six games.

He clearly wasn't the same player after that, as he shot just 37.3 percent from the field in 2014-15 and 35.8 percent the following season. Despite that and his advancing age, the Lakers continued to play him regularly and allowed him to go out on his own terms.

In his age 37 season in 2015-16, Bryant struggled mightily, but he enjoyed one of the most remarkable and memorable ends to a career in NBA history, as he scored 60 points in his final NBA game, which was a win over the Utah Jazz.

The Lakers continue to honor Bryant to this day, as they unveiled a statue of him outside Crypto.com Arena in February, and are planning to unveil two more in the future as well.

That treatment of legendary players has carried over to James as well with the Lakers signing him to a two-year, $101.36 million contract during the offseason and giving him a chance to live out a dream by selecting his son, Bronny James, in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft.

While it stands to reason that James appreciates the treatment, he made it clear Saturday that several other motives drove him to leave the Cavs for the Lakers in free agency in 2018.

Now, James is preparing for his 22nd NBA season, and he is looking to add a fifth NBA championship to his résumé, which would match the amount won by Bryant.