Report: Chris Paul believes LeBron James doesn't want to be in Houston, prefers L.A.
The summer of LeBron James continues with more reporting on Monday that James doesn’t want to be in Houston.
Stephen A. Smith said on his ESPN podcast on Monday that Rockets guard Chris Paul is telling people in Houston not to get their hopes up for the NBA’s biggest free agent prize. Paul, a long-time friend of James, has reportedly said that James doesn’t want to be in Houston and would rather end up in Los Angeles.
According to Stephen A. Smith and his "sources", Chris Paul has started telling people that LeBron James isn't trying to come to Houston because he wants to be in Los Angeles. https://t.co/VCt8JiLidM pic.twitter.com/OUOU0hebS9
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 18, 2018
“Chris Paul is telling folks LeBron ain’t trying to come to Houston, he wants to be in L.A.,” Smith said.
Not the first report that James doesn’t like Houston
His report jibes with Akron Beacon Journal reporter Marla Ridenour saying last week that James does not like the city of Houston.
“I heard this from his own lips when we were in Houston this season,” Ridenour told ESPN Radio. “He does not like Houston as a city. So, that would require him moving to a place that he’s not crazy about.”
Paul reportedly recruiting James to Houston regardless
If Paul genuinely believes James has his heart set on L.A., that’s apparently not stopping him from trying to lure James. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Monday night that Paul is expected to remain with the Rockets and is focused on recruiting his friend to join him and James Harden in Houston.
More from @wojespn on Chris Paul, from the ESPN2 NBA Draft preview:
"Chris is going to return there. Right now, his focus isn't so much on his own free agency, he's trying to recruit LeBron James to Houston." #Rocketshttps://t.co/g96qHzr3eU
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 19, 2018
This matches with a report from the New York Times’ Marc Stein that Paul began pitching James shortly after the end of his season.
From Stein’s newsletter:
Rest assured that the Rockets’ understandably devastated Chris Paul — who made a fast exit from Toyota Center late Monday night after being forced to watch the biggest game of his life from the bench because of his hamstring injury — has already begun his recruitment of James to Houston.
NBA free agency doesn’t officially start until July 1, leaving plenty of time for recruiting pitches and changes of heart.
Until then, expect the James rumors to come fast and furious.
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