Say what you want about LeBron James – Skip Bayless sure does – but you can’t deny he’s a smooth operator.
First he said it “would be amazing” to play with Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis, planting a seed in Davis’ head while leading NBA executives to accuse him of tampering.
Then after the Lakers beat the Pelicans 112-104 on Friday night, LeBron answered questions about LeTampering by saying: “They can’t control me at all. And I play by the rules.”
And then, after LeBron left the arena that night, he proved he’s right on both accounts.
With the Pelicans staying in LA overnight, LeBron invited Anthony Davis out for dinner, according to Yahoo Sports.
While the Pelicans will undoubtedly be furious, there isn’t a thing the NBA can do about it.
There’s no law against two friends from opposing teams grabbing a bite to eat.
And Davis’ postgame comments were perhaps even more concerning for the Pelicans.
“I’d take legacy over money,” Davis told Yahoo Sports. “I want to have a legacy. All my people that look up to me, the younger kids, I want them to know about AD’s legacy.”
“Championships, the things I do in the community, being a good teammate, playing hard. All that stuff matters the most to me.”
But what about all the money that New Orleans can give him?
“Don’t get me wrong, money is amazing,” Davis said. “But I think in that sense, money or legacy, I think my legacy will win that battle every time.”
Unfortunately for the Pelicans, there is no one in today’s NBA that knows more about building a legacy than LeBron James.
For more Basketball Forever content, follow @bballforeverfb.