Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been in the public spotlight since he was a teenager, and there’s no doubt that he’s become a great leader on the basketball court. But could that leadership translate at the highest level?
This week, on a Lakers podcast, DeMarcus Cousins, who, ironically, the team waived on Friday night, suggested that after seeing James up close this season, he thinks the Lakers star could be president someday.
James was asked about the notion on Friday and told reporters that he has not considered it. But FOX Sports personality Skip Bayless says he’s heard otherwise.
Bayless says that a source close to James has told him that James has considered running for president someday. He called it a “plan” of his but not yet a goal.
James still has a few years left in the NBA, but many are wondering how he’ll transition to a post-basketball life. Many assume he’ll want to eventually own a team someday.
It would be interesting to see him go the political route instead. James is a very popular figure, so it would be fascinating to see if he would be able to be successful in that world as well.
As for which party he’d be part of – that answer is obvious. James has supported the Democratic party for years and it would be a shock if he changed course in that regard.
NBA fans – would you want to see James try his hand in politics?
LeBron James congratulates Dwyane Wade on jersey retirement: ‘I think it was inevitable’
On Friday night at American Airlines Arena, the Miami Heat hosted an event in celebration of Dwyane Wade’s legendary career with the franchise. Dubbed “The Flashback,” the festivities included many notable appearances and speeches while first presenting those in attendance with Wade’s ceremonial jersey that will eventually be raised to the rafters on Saturday when the Heat play the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James shared his thoughts on the occasion through a pre-recorded video that aired during the event.
Wade was drafted by the Heat out of Marquette University with the No. 5 overall selection in a 2003 NBA Draft that also featured LeBron, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony. He was a three-time NBA champion with Miami, earning NBA Finals MVP honors in 2006. The 13-time All-Star also brought a scoring title home to South Beach in 2009, just before teaming up with James and Bosh and appearing in four-straight NBA Finals.
“D-Wade, I just want to say congratulations to you man for getting your jersey retired,” LeBron said during the video tribute. “I mean, am I really sitting here congratulating you on something we both knew would happen when we were sitting at pre-draft in Chicago?
“I feel like, as soon as the Miami Heat drafted you and said Dwyane Wade out of Marquette that the name and the jersey was going up in the rafters. I think it was inevitable.
“I really should be sitting here wondering when that statue is going up outside of American Airlines Arena.”
LeBron went on to joke about which moment a potential statue outside the arena should memorialize from Wade’s storied career. James asked if it would be the “Flash Dunk” from the 2006 NBA Finals, when he stood on the scorer’s table and said this is my house after hitting a game-winner, or when Wade used to pull his head up through the rim during pregame warmups.
No word yet on whether or not that statue will materialize in the future, but Wade’s jersey is definitely going up into the rafters forever tonight. Like LeBron said, it wasn’t long after we first saw Wade on the NBA stage that we all knew an honor like this was inevitable, too.
