LeBron’s Last Dance – what next for James after Lakers exit?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, LeBron James made 487 appearances during his eight seasons with the Los Angeles LakersByJonty ColmanBBC Sport journalistPublished1 hour agoAt the start of the 1997-98 season, then Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson told his players that it would be their last as the dynasty that dominated the NBA throughout their decade.With NBA titles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997, Jackson set out to complete a second three-peat with a squad spearheaded by the trio of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.Jackson labelled that season the Last Dance, which would later become the name of a popular Netflix documentary framed around that historic campaign.The Bulls would win a sixth championship with Jackson, Jordan, Pippen and Rodman all then leaving Chicago.Almost three decades later, and another of the NBA’s all-time greats. LeBron James, is facing similar territory himself with his own last dance.On Tuesday, the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 22-time All-Star unveiled he will be departing the Los Angeles Lakers after an eight-year stay.At 41, James’ next move is likely to be his NBA swansong – but how did we get here and where might he end up?LeBron’s Lakers legacyImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The first season of LeBron James and Anthony Davis together at the Los Angeles Lakers saw them end a 10-year wait to win the NBA ChampionshipBetween 2000 and 2010, the Lakers were one of the most dominant sides in the NBA. They won a three-peat between 2000 and 2002, finished runners up in 2004 and 2008 and then went back-to-back with titles in 2009 and 2010.But by the time James had signed for them in 2018 following the end of his second spell with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Lakers had gone five straight years without reaching the play-offs.
The latter two of those were the first Lakers seasons since 1995-96 without legend Kobe Bryant, who had spent two decades and his entire NBA career in Los Angeles prior to his 2016 retirement.
There was a need for a talisman and a change of fortunes for the Lakers and in time, with James at the helm, they got exactly that.
Year one saw an improvement for the Lakers after a poor start to the season, but a groin injury sustained by James kept him sidelined for 17 matches. That run would prove costly as the Lakers fell 11 wins short of the play-offs.
The 2019-20 season would prove to be the turning point in a deeply emotional time for those connected to the Lakers on and off the court.
The arrival of centre Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans and a positional switch for James to make him full-time point guard would ultimately prove fruitful.
At the end of January 2020, James would move to third on the NBA’s all-time scoring charts. A day later, Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash.
James pledged after Bryant’s death to continue Kobe’s legacy and months later, LeBron would do exactly that by delivering Los Angeles with its first NBA title in a decade.
James would be named the finals MVP for that series and in doing so, won over Lakers fans who had been longing for a hero following years of, at best, mediocrity.
While the Lakers have not won an NBA championship since, they have been a regular play-off side ever since and there was further success in the NBA Cup in 2023, during which James was named MVP.
He might not have left the trophy-laden success at the Lakers he will have wished for, but he departs having put the Los Angeles franchise back to where their reputation compels them to be.
