By Daily Sports on December 26, 2018

LeBron James is keenly aware that his success with the Los Angeles Lakers could come down just as much to his effectiveness as a recruiter off the court as it does to his production on the court.

And he is already planning to fulfill his pitchman duties.

“I’ve always recruited,” James told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols in a sit-down interview that will air Christmas Day at halftime of the Lakers-Golden State Warriors game on ABC. “I’ve been trying to get guys to come play with me since, like, 2007. I’ve got rejected a lot. But I’ve also have not got rejected a lot.” James started his hunt early to attract marquee players to Los Angeles, telling ESPN last week, in response to a question, it would be “amazing” and “incredible” if the Lakers could somehow acquire five-time All-Star Anthony Davis, who is currently under contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Lakers star has admitted his shortcomings in recruiting stars in the past – James tried to get Joe Johnson, Michael Redd and Chris Bosh to join him in Cleveland during his first stint with the Cavaliers, to no avail.

“A lot of people didn’t want to come to Cleveland, let me just throw that out there,” James told Nichols. “I tried to recruit so many guys to come to Cleveland, and we actually had – I had – a couple guys and it just didn’t work out.”

James’ Lakers will face a Warriors team that came off a record-setting 73-win season in 2015-16 and was able to recruit Kevin Durant to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and join Golden State, leading the Warriors to back-to-back championships.

James’ recruiting efforts could center on a couple of Warriors players – Durant and Klay Thompson – who will both hit the free-agent market in the summer of 2019.

“It wasn’t hard getting guys in Miami, I’ll tell you that,” James said, reflecting on his success with guys like Ray Allen, Mike Miller and Shane Battier when he played for the Heat. “So now that I think being in L.A., I don’t think it would be that hard to get guys here.” (ESPN)

•Photo shows Lebron James 

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 26, 2018

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