LeBron James is taking his sweet time. And his agent Rich Paul is not about to apologize for it.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Paul doubled down on what he has been saying all week: the 41-year-old has earned the right to drag this out. It is not a PR stunt. It is not a power play. It is a man trying to figure out where to spend the final act of a legendary career.
“Just have a little patience with him. That’s absolutely his choice,” Paul said. “I have a job to do to set the table for him, but it’s his choice.”
The comments came the same week NBA commissioner Adam Silver publicly nudged James to speed things up. Paul said he and Silver have talked it through. He called Silver “the greatest commissioner of all leagues” and acknowledged the league has a schedule to worry about. But he did not budge on the bigger point.
“You can’t rush him. I think he’s earned the right not to be rushed. It’s not a thing where you’re toying with people’s emotions,” Paul said.
The Decision Part IV
James opted out of his Lakers deal and hit free agency for the fourth time in his career. The teams linked to him so far: Cleveland, Golden State, Miami and Philadelphia. That is the same short list that has been circulating for weeks. No one knows which way he is leaning. Not even Paul, according to Paul.
What we do know is that James has refused to sit down with any team directly. Paul is handling all the negotiations. And so far, there is nothing to report.
Fans are getting restless. Social media has turned into a daily vigil where every cryptic Instagram post gets analyzed like a hostage video. But Paul is asking everyone to chill out.
“This man has a very important, layered decision to make across business, across his family, across basketball,” he said.
Still Got Gas in the Tank
Paul was asked whether this decision could be the one where James finally walks away. He shut that down fast.
“I personally don’t like to think about the end of it because he’s got so much left in the tank,” Paul said. He added that he has encouraged James to “find humility and peace while still playing the game.”
Paul has represented James since 2012. If anyone knows what is going on inside that head, it is him. But even he is not looking past this summer.
Wherever James lands, Paul said he will be happy for him. That is easy to say when your client is about to sign another nine-figure deal. The real question is whether the waiting game costs the league any momentum heading into next season.
Silver asked for a decision soon. Paul asked for patience. For now, patience is losing.
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