Trade LeBron James? Some L.A. Times readers say no, others yes

Feb. 26, 2022 10:02 AM PT

I was never happy with LeBron becoming a temporary Laker in the first place. I hope the Lakers can find a way to let him move on … and give Jerry back his seats.

Dave Thoma
Ventura

Let me put my cards on the table, I am not a LeBron James fan. Never was and never will be. He is a great player and will go down as such in the annals of NBA play, but I am first and foremost a Lakers fan and LeBron is not a true Laker. He made that abundantly clear this past week. LeBron is a fan of Team LeBron. He has no loyalty to this team, this franchise or us fans. It’s time to part ways. Today. Trade him to anyone anywhere who will take him. The Lakers need to salvage what is left and rid themselves of a player who has been systematically bullying his way around and then will ultimately pick up his toys and walk out the door never looking back.

Geno Apicella
Placentia

We all know that the Lakers’ star player is on the downhill slide to old age. LeBron in his prime was a north/south player who overpowered his opponents with his size and strength. Now with old age and other players in the league that can match up with him, he is just another big guy that doesn’t have skills needed in today’s game. Trade him for Ja Morant and your future is secured Lakers!

George Okamura
Rosemead

Per Broderick Turner’s story on the Lakers not knowing their identity, I believe they do know their identity and it’s old, injury prone and slow.

As a player, LeBron might be Top 10 all time but as the real GM he is in the Bottom 10.

It’s going to be a very long offseason.

Fred Wallin
Westlake Village

LeBron James is acting like a privileged kid who constantly needs new toys and then doesn’t want to play with them.

Phil Ross
Santa Monica

Bill Plaschke is mistaken if he thinks Lakers fans want a rebuild. He can simply look back at his columns, as well as letters to the editor, from 2013-19 to find out how Lakers fans feel about losing teams. The Lakers’ “rebuilding project” during that period led to a combined record of 163-329.

Lakers management at the time did a great job of drafting talent. However, Plaschke, Jeanie, Magic, as well as most fans, lost their patience with the kids. Rob Pelinka simply came along and gave everyone what they were begging for.

As the saying goes … be careful what you wish for!

Mike Anderson
Sherman Oaks

I urge the owner of the Los Angeles Times and part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, Patrick Soon-Shiong, to do the right thing and trade Bill Plaschke.

Loren Coleman
West Hollywood

What’s Bruin?

UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin, after a four-game trip and during a span of six games in 12 days, cares about his players. Citing emotional and physical fatigue due to the Pac 12’s maniacal rescheduling of games after UCLA’s 27-day COVID pause, he has taken the high road. Not worrying about March Madness seedings, he has rested players. He commented that Jules Bernard, an economics major, needed time to study. If only more coaches like Cronin existed.

Craig A. Horowitz
Santa Monica

My respect for Mick Cronin has declined because he does two things that John Wooden never did. He publicly embarrasses individual players by screaming at them when they come off the floor, and it is not hard to read lips. Cronin uses lots of foul language, which is pathetic and unnecessary by any coach or teacher — poor modeling.

David Waldowski
Laguna Woods

If arranging for the return of alcohol sales at UCLA football games seems to be the height of Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond’s accomplishments, the “bar” is set pretty low. Just take a peek at the paucity of top high school football players committing to UCLA and the list of our current top players leaving by the transfer portal (live by the portal, die by the portal) and one can surmise:

Jarmond may have made a possible UCLA career-ending mistake in re-signing over-the-hill Chip Kelly as coach.

Jarmond’s vision? Cloudy with a probability of continued mediocrity.

Allan Kandel
Los Angeles

Congratulations to the L.A. Times’ Ben Bolch for making the top 10 short features winners in the Associated Press Sports Editors competition. UCLA can’t make the top 10 but at least our beat writer can.

Wes Wellman
Santa Monica

Noble Malone

As a lifetime Dodgers fan, I have had my share of disagreements with GM’s over the many years. And Kevin Malone’s tenure was certainly no exception. But the “transactions” he has engineered since leaving baseball are truly more remarkable and long lasting than any player trade he might have conducted. To be engaged in saving the lives of young women entrapped in sex trafficking is the ultimate in nobility. If there is a Humanity Hall of Fame, Mr. Malone should be inducted on the first ballot.

Bob Teigan
Santa Susana

Play ball?

If MLB players and owners think that fans have any sympathy for their now months-long financial war that has brought the sport to a halt, count me out.

Fans attend games with discretionary income and during this time when we are seeing record gas prices and cost of living at a decades high, watching billionaires unable to reach an agreement may regress the sport to a new low.

Mike Saunders
Calabasas

If the 2022 MLB season is shortened, it is right up the Dodgers alley, since the Dodgers won the World Series in 1981 and 2020 — both shortened seasons.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

Slap in the face

Let me see if I got this straight. Juwan Howard commits a criminal assault on an opposing coach after watching his Michigan team get worked by Wisconsin, and the Big Ten sees fit to impose what amounts to a five-game suspension. This cowardly act is a symptom of the current day sports landscape. Guaranteed that if a rabid fan had charged from the stands and punched Coach Howard, the punishment would have been far greater that the slap on the wrist handed down by the so-called “Big” Ten Conference.

Bud Chapman
Northridge

Phil circle

There is a saying in business circles that you ”can’t make your career at one company meeting. But you CAN end it.” Can you say Phil Mickelson?

Steve Briseno
Mission Viejo

Regal advice

Thanks for the excellent review of the Kings’ progress. One question, who is Jack Harris? We have become so accustomed to reading the boring coverage of your writer Associated Press for the entire season, it’s kind of difficult to read an article that actually informs about the team. Here’s hoping Jack Harris sticks with the Kings on their drive for the playoffs.

Jay Slater
Los Angeles

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