The Los Angeles Lakers are enjoying quite a ride this season. They’re currently sitting pretty in fourth place in the Western Conference standings. It’s no secret that the duo of Luka Dončić and LeBron James has driven this success.
But just when everyone’s talking about this partnership, James’ agent, Rich Paul, dropped a bombshell during a recent podcast appearance that has got everyone talking about what could have been with a different superstar.
Paul Fires Back as Luka Dončić and LeBron James Championship Talk Heats Up
On the latest episode of the “Game Over” Podcast, Paul joined Max Kellerman for a discussion about the Lakers. If we see, much of the focus was on Dončić and his long-term outlook in Los Angeles.
The conversation took an interesting turn. It was when Paul admitted he wasn’t entirely convinced that Dončić’s time in Los Angeles would necessarily end with a championship ring. Kellerman threw out a comparison that caught Paul off guard, calling Dončić “Harden 2.0.”
Paul clearly wasn’t buying that comparison and pushed back hard. He asked Kellerman to think about how things might have been different if circumstances had aligned differently.
“If you’re saying Luka is James Harden 2.0, you know what I would do? I would go back and look at how the teams were constructed around James Harden, and I would look at my current team.”
“I can almost guarantee you, there was no LeBron James on that team with James Harden, because if there was he would have three rings. I can guarantee you that,” Paul said regarding James Harden and the King.
So let’s talk about Harden for a moment. The player entered the NBA in 2009 as the third overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fast forward to this past July. Harden actually signed a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, which was worth $81.5 million, and he is projected to earn $39,182,693 this season as a salary.
When you look at Harden’s resume, it’s pretty impressive. He won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2012 while playing alongside Kevin Durant and helped the Thunder reach the NBA Finals. Then, in 2018, he won the MVP award, secured a scoring title, and made the All-NBA First Team while playing alongside Chris Paul on a Rockets team that won 65 games and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. The man knows how to play with other stars.
Now, here’s the thing about Dončić this season. You really can’t argue with his numbers as the guy is averaging 33.7 points, 8.8 assists, and eight rebounds per game. If we see, he’s been a huge reason why the Lakers are sitting at (23-12).
Those are superstar numbers by any measure. But what Paul seemed to be getting at is something deeper than just stats. He was suggesting that the chemistry and playing style between Harden and James would have clicked on a different level. It could have possibly led to multiple championship rings for Harden during James’ prime years.
It’s one of those classic “what if” scenarios that sports fans love to debate. Even though Paul seems skeptical about whether Dončić can win a ring with James at their current pace, you’ve got to admit they’re building something special.