LeBron James was asked on Tuesday how he will gain the respect of Los Angeles Lakers fans, and he didn’t respond in the way you might expect.
LeBron was asked how he will gain the respect of LA fans. His response.
"Who me? Me?"
(yes you)
"Huh? I signed a four-year deal. How much more, what do you want me to do? Listen, I signed a four-year deal. I’m here. So I know what I bring to the table on the floor."
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) September 25, 2018
This is an interesting approach. After all, it’s clear that James isn’t universally embraced by Lakers fans.
That said, it is pretty telling that James did sign a four-year deal with the Lakers, which in his mind is a clear indication he’s completely committed to this franchise right now.
And if we’re being honest, his resume does speak for itself. Every team King James has played for is much better with him on the court than without him. He raises the game of all his teammates and doesn’t really need to do anything else in his career to prove anything to anyone.
In the long run, it’s likely that Lakers fans will respect him. Just for who he is, both for his work on and off the court.