Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul addressed the media speculation about his top client LeBron James‘ future with the Los Angeles Lakers, which stemmed from his earlier statement released to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio on June 13, Paul told Frank Isola that it’s not his or James’ job to rebut or clarify things.
“There are so many voices in today’s game and around today’s game, in media and things like that, and everyone has a job to do for us. Hey, let those people do their job. It’s not for us to issue a rebuttal or to try to give clarity on what’s said, what’s not said. That’s not the focus,” Paul told Isola. “The focus is, ‘Hey, man, enjoy your summer.’
“You can’t dispel everything someone has to say. There’s never been an expectation on anyone, like it’s been on [James]. But my thing is, just continue to find your joy. You can’t go out here and try to prove everyone wrong, or align with or want to make sure that everyone is right. The critique is going to be the critique, and it’s for all players, by the way.”
Rich Paul’s Controversial Statement
GettyKlutch Sports’ Rich Paul is in the middle of the controversy surrounding LeBron James.
On June 29, Paul stirred controversy with his statement after James opted into his $52.6 million player option. For the first time since he joined the Lakers, James will become an unrestricted free agent after next season.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told Charania on June 29. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Paul added that James will closely monitor the Lakers’ offseason.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future,” Paul continued. “We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
Trade rumors began to circulate, with four teams reaching out to Paul to inquire about James’ availability, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported in the aftermath.
LeBron Dodges Question About Lakers’ Future
Then, during James’ first public appearance over in the NBA Summer League since Paul’s cryptic statement, the Lakers star turned down ESPN’s request to sit down on the broadcast for an interview.
“I ain’t got nothing to talk about,” James told McMenamin.
During his SiriusXM NBA Radio guesting, Paul explained why James seemingly dodged media interviews amid the rampant speculation.
“It’s easy for us to critique sitting behind these microphones,” Paul told Isola. “But you know the respect level for all the guys playing, and I know the respect level obviously for someone at the Bron’s level, and his tenure and all the things he’s accomplished.
“Again, you can’t buy into those things, but people gotta do their job, and so we understand that, and he understands that. But I think, how you do things is what my focus is. And it’s been class personified pretty much, for the most part, in any organization and you have to remain that way.”
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