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- LeBron James and Lonzo Ball held a secretive chat on Thursday after the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Los Angeles Lakers.
- Rumors have been buzzing for months about James possible leaving the Cavaliers for the Lakers in free agency.
- Neither James nor Ball revealed what they talked about, but James praised Ball’s game.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 121-112, on Thursday, LeBron James had a postgame chat with Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball.
While brief postgame talks are nothing unusual, the timing was noteworthy as rumors about James joining the Lakers in free agency this summer have been buzzing for months.
Afterward, James and Ball only fueled the fire by keeping the details of their chat private.
“None of y’all business,” James told reporters of his talk with Ball. Ball also didn’t comment on any specifics.
James did, however, compliment Ball’s game afterward, saying Ball is a player with whom others would want to play.
“It’s always team,” James said of Ball. “Passes the ball. Pushes the ball up the floor. Someone that you want to play with. This is a team game … He’s a good player.”
During the offseason, Ball revealed James was his favorite player growing up. On Thursday, James said he was touched by Ball’s comments and said his warm happy birthday message to Ball in October was to pay it back to Ball.
At the same time, however, James tried to calm the rumors about a potential exit from Cleveland to LA this coming offseason. Speculation has grown because of James’ interest in the entertainment business and because he purchased a second home in Los Angeles in December.
“I see all the stupid noise that happens. I can’t buy a place in L.A. I can’t live in L.A,” James said. “It’s funny noise. But I don’t get involved in it. When I post things, I don’t look at comments. I’m so far removed from the white noise, and the noise, it doesn’t matter.”
The Lakers will have cap space this summer and are rumored to want to open up more so they can pursue two superstars. It’s unclear whether James truly has interest in them, but at the very least, he may have given LA fans hope by praising their young rookie.
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