Skip to main content

"The 5th Ring Is Not Important To LeBron James" - Gilbert Arenas Criticizes Lakers Star For His $52.6M Decision


"The 5th Ring Is Not Important To LeBron James" - Gilbert Arenas Criticizes Lakers Star For His $52.6M Decision originally appeared on Fadeaway World.

LeBron James opted into his $52.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. Considering the impact this decision has had on the team's cap structure and its ability to construct a winning roster, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas had a lot to say about James' decision on "Gil's Arena".

Advertisement

While criticizing the superstar's decision to opt into his contract and avoid free agency, Arenas said:

"There's $56 million you're worth. You are a free agent. Meaning, you can go anywhere on the planet. You don't have to get traded to nowhere. You [James], right now, can sign for $5 million and go play with Cleveland. You can literally take the Mid-Level to go to OKC to win a ring."

"If you really want to win that fifth ring, it could be respectable because you took a $55 million, or whatever, pay cut to win... If ring five is that important to him, this summer is one of those things that, 'I'm going to be Karl Malone. With my greatness, go to another team with pennies on the dollar.'"

Arenas' take on the situation is quite interesting. The superstar's contributions to the team last season were impressive, having averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, even a t 40 years old.

Advertisement

With James agreeing to play with the Lakers for another season, he has effectively taken up a sizable portion of their cap space. This decision has left the Purple and Gold with very little room to acquire new talent to help build a competitive roster.

In addition to the challenges that arise from James' decision, the forward expressed that he would request a trade if the front office fails to form a team that can compete for the title. This displays his intentions of being part of a championship-caliber team next season.

As things stand, the forward has garnered some interest from teams around the league, with wild trade speculations also linking him with potential title contenders.

But it is also important to note that recent reports suggest that the Lakers view James as an expiring contract, suggesting that they also intend to part ways with him.

Advertisement

Since James issued his ultimatum to the Lakers' front office, the Purple and Gold have made few meaningful moves to improve their roster strength. With the addition of Deandre Ayton emerging as the only noteworthy signing for the team, it would appear that the Lakers organization is biding its time until James officially requests a trade.

Related: "LeBron Wants To Have His Cake And Eat It Too": NBA Analyst Says Lakers Star Could Ask For Mid-Season Trade

This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NBA Monday Morning Shootaround: LeBron James, The Hunger Games, and More - Bleacher Report

Welcome to the "Monday Morning Shootaround," Bleacher Report's recap of the weekend that was in the NBA. Along with getting you caught up on the weekend’s playoff action, we’ll give you a sneak preview of what could potentially be the greatest basketball book of all time, show you the best 70-year-old playground superstar ever, and tell you about a young star that just might choose religion over the fame and fortune of the NBA. The Opening Tip * ABC cameras caught LeBron James reading The Hunger Games before the Miami Heat played the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Shortly thereafter, the Miami Heat small forward proceeded to go into full Katniss Everdeen mode to the tune of 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists as the Heat pulled out a hard-fought 101-93 victory. After a slow start, Heat guard Dwyane Wade finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists of his own. But Sunday afternoon was all about James and his gaudy numbers, virtually all of which we...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking Down the Differences Between LeBron James and Kevin Durant - Bleacher Report

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are being coined as "the future of the NBA 's next generation." That is certainly true, but they aren't exactly on the same level. LeBron and Durant are two different players, who bring varying skills to different facets of the game. Instead of just comparing them in a "who's the best" fashion, let's take a minute and break down which player excels in each and every facet of the game of basketball. Ahead is a breakdown of the differences that exist between LeBron and Durant.  Scoring Ronald Martinez/Getty Images LeBron 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 27.1 points, 53.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 77.1 FT% Durant 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 28.0 points, 49.6 FG%, 38.7 3P%, 86.0 FT% Scoring is what Kevin Durant does. It's not only his specialty, it's also what makes him such a dangerous and elite player. With that being said, LeBron isn't exactly a slouch on the offensive side of the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Luka Dončić joins LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Jerry West as only Lakers to post 30 points and 15 assists in a game

LeBron James joined a club of one on Tuesday , while Luka Dončić joined a club of four. With 30 points and a Lakers career-high 15 assists, Luka Dončić became only the fourth player in Lakers history to post those totals in a single game in a 136-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The other three: James, Magic Johnson and Jerry West. We'll call that a solid group. That performance included a stretch of three straight 3-pointers to set the tone in the first quarter. It was once again the LeBron and Dončić (LeBrončić?) show, as Dončić's co-star posted 34 points on 10-of-18 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists. Center Jaxson Hayes also had one of the best games of his Lakers career, scoring 19 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting plus 10 rebounds. Dončić was two points away from tying his Lakers career high in points as well, and likely would have gotten it had L.A. not taken its foot off the gas in the fourth quarter. After a back-and-forth first half in which the P...
Post a Comment
Read more