On Tuesday night, NBA free agency opened up for all 30 teams in the league.
While there was not a lot of movement in the first 12 hours, the big news was that LeBron James will not be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers.
He spent eight seasons with the franchise (and led them to the 2020 NBA Championship).
ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote (on Tuesday): “BREAKING: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN.”
LeBron James Gets Brutally Honest Message
GettyLeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the second quarter of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 05, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Following the news, Fred Roggin of AM 570 LA Sports made a bold statement about James.
Roggin: “I said it, and I’ll say it now; he wore a Laker uniform but he wasn’t a Laker. I always felt that way. I think with LeBron, it’s about LeBron.”
James had signed with the Lakers in the summer of 2018.
While his tenure had mixed success, there is no question that James brought the Lakers back to being one of the premier teams in the NBA.
Before the Lakers, James had spent time with the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice) and Miami Heat.
Over 23 seasons, the future Hall of Famer has won four titles.
Social Media Reacts To Roggin
GettyLeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the first quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
Here’s what people were saying about Roggin’s comments:
Legion Hoops: “These are the worst types of fans”
@ThePettiestLA: “Cut this non-sense. If you help hoist up a banner in LA you’re a real Laker end of conversation.”
@Shane00: “Show me a single time any other athlete ever got treated like this I’ll say this again, I big portion of Laker fans are pathetic and lame”
@Dogwo_Sam97: “I’m officially a Laker hater now…..all we know is that the Lakers can’t win a championship with Luka, at least not this decade”
GettyLeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
James finished last year with averages of 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 51.5% from the field and 31.7% from three-point range in 60 games.
Former Los Angeles Lakers Star LeBron James Gets Brutally Honest Message