Brian Windhorst backs LeBron James’ underpaid claim
Los Angeles The Lakers have had a lot of success this season, and from time to time, it’s not just because LeBron James. The last few years, if James wasn’t on the court or on his A-game, the Lakers would probably be in trouble. Now, with Luka Dončić and the rise of Austin ReevesJames was able to take the spot and still contribute to the Lakers’ victory.
As has been the case for most of his career, James was the best player on the team, but he wasn’t paid as much. When thinking about what next season might look like for him contract-wise, some would think he’d take a discount, but given how underpaid he’s been throughout his career, he could be asking for more than expected.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst see where James is coming from in terms of being underpaid, and him shared his thoughts about the ordeal on the Ryan Russillo show.
“He was in his 12th season before he was the highest paid player on his team. There were times when he was tied for the highest salary to be clear, but that was his 12th season,” Windhorst said. “That was one of the things in 2014 when he was making the decision to come to Cleveland, one of the only messages that Rich Paul was willing to tell teams was that LeBron was going to give it his all.”
Windhorst then noted that what James is doing now with the Lakers probably doesn’t match his value on the court and what he’s done for them.
“LeBron was very willing to increase his salary because he felt he was underpaid,” Windhorst continued. “And he felt he was underpaid for the middle part of his career there. And he said, ‘I’ll make sure I’m taken care of. I don’t blame him because even now at $50 million, his value to the Lakers is probably not correct.”
2025-12-18 19:38:00
