Every move made by LeBron James is analyzed as if he were the U.S. President or The King. In the middle of his historic 23rd season, rumors and guesses about his future are a main topic of NBA conversation, but recently, given his good shape, the question has shifted from “how much does he have left?” to “where will he finally fall?”
He arrived at the purple and gold of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, and a former teammate has sparked a viral debate now by suggesting that the most fitting end to LeBron’s story is not in LA, it is back where his dream began. That former teammate is DeMarcus Cousins.
A potential home return
Appearing on FanDuel’s Run It Back on January 19, 2026, the former NBA All-Star did not hold back when discussing his former teammate’s future. Cousins, who was part of the Lakers’ 2019-20 championship roster, argued that a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers is the only logical ending for a career of this magnitude. Talking to Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams, he said:
“Do I feel like he finishes his career in LA? I don’t. My gut tells me he finishes in Cleveland… That’s where his story starts, obviously, that’s where he is from. I think that will be the first team to hang his jersey up, so it just makes sense.
The reality of the Lakers era
Cousins’ take is not just rooted in emotions, it is a critique of the current state of the Lakers squad. While the 2020 Bubble Championship remains a crowning achievement, the years following have been marked by inconsistency in a team still trying to find more success.
Now, at the midway point of the 2025-26 season, the Lakers have struggled to find a consistent rhythm too, sitting at a modest 25-16 record and grappling with the reality of an aging roster. However, that can change soon with the presence of Luka Doncic.
Cousins pointed out that a player of LeBron’s caliber should never be in a position where the postseason is in doubt.
“When you think about LeBron James, it should never be where he doesn’t make the playoffs, and it’s hard for me to sit there and put the blame on LeBron. He won the title in ’19-20, but the rest of the time it just hasn’t really shown.
As Cousins puts it, LeBron should finish where everything started, in Ohio. An ending there would not just be a great basketball move, it would be the perfect closing line to the greatest story ever told in sports.
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