LeBron has previously called Adele a breath of fresh air, a striking bolt of light.
LeBron James was one of the many excited fans in attendance when Adele performed a concert in Germany.
After recently winning a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was spotted among the Munich crowd. He was clearly enjoying himself when Adele performed “Set Fire To The Rain” at this particular show.
Adele, who recently got engaged to James’ longtime agent Rich Paul, had James and the rest of the crowd in a frenzy during this performance. Just look how much he is clearly enjoying his life:
“You’re ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE @adele!! Simple as that! Pleasure witnessing it live in the flesh! Never Ever to forget! RARE!!! A breath of fresh air, a striking bolt of light and a unfazed humble yet super confident aura!! Continue love and blessings!!”
“Set Fire to the Rain” was one of the most popular songs, via Billboard, in 2012.
That, of course, aligns with the first time that James won NBA Finals and NBA Finals MVP. So he may have some find memories of that song from that period of his life.
Adele confirmed her engagement to star sports agent Rich Paul during a concert on Friday.
World superstar singer-songwriter Adele has been in a high-profile relationship with sports agent Rich Paul, who represents LeBron James as part of the Klutch Sports Agency, since 2021. Now, it appears the pair is set to tie the knot.
While performing at a concert in Munich on Friday, Adele told a fan in the crowd “I can’t marry you, because I’m already getting married,” before holding up her hand to show off an engagement ring.
“Finally, and perhaps most pivotally, she fell madly in love,” Elle wrote of Adele and Paul in an article from November. “’Beyond,’ she says. ‘I’ve never been in love like this. I’m obsessed with him.’ Adele and Paul had been friends for some time, but their relationship became romantic in 2021, and they went public when she sat courtside with him at an NBA Finals game that July. (‘Lucky for him, I love basketball,’ Adele says. She’s partial to the Phoenix Suns.)”
Adele holding up her hand with her giant diamond engagement ring confirming she's "Already getting Married" whoop whoop huge congrats Adele & Rich #AdeleinMunichpic.twitter.com/qWhFonGj0x
While Paul may not be one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, he does bring some star power to the celebrity relationship due to his longtime connections with James, whose “inner circle” he’s been a part of for most of his basketball career.
In a recent courtside conversation, Brown was seen chatting with a fan about Bronny James perhaps not being good enough for the NBA.
Over the last few days, star Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has found himself getting some negative press about a conversation we are not even 100% sure actually happened. In a recent courtside conversation, Brown was seen chatting with a fan about Bronny James perhaps not being good enough for the NBA, or at least that is what untrained lip-readers seemed to think.
Brown, for his part, did not deny that he may have said such a thing when responding to speculation about that conversation. But that did not stop Bronny’s agent Rich Paul from trying to defuse the situation on a recent episode of ESPN’s “Pat McAfee” show. “I saw some of the stuff that came out about Jaylen Brown,” he began via Boston Dot Com’s Khari Thompson.
“You can’t take everybody’s opinion and try to turn it against them or think that he’s a bad person …” he said. “No — they have opinions, they can say what they want to say.”
“At least he is someone who is actually in the league,” continued Paul. “There’s a lot of ‘experts’ with no expertise. He’s actually an expert with expertise.”
“So, if he has that opinion, he can have that opinion, but I know Jaylen. I know he doesn’t mean that with any malice. He was just having a conversation.”
Super agent Rich Paul sheds some light on Tyrese Maxey’s rookie season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey is one of the top players in the league as he is on his way to becoming a multi-time All-Star due to his maniacal work ethic and his immense talent. He averaged 25.9 points and 6.2 assists in the 2023-24 season.
However, while he has proven himself at this stage of his career, it isn’t like he was a sure thing. He was the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA draft and was in a reserve role in his rookie season playing behind Ben Simmons. He received an opportunity in his second season thanks to the Simmons saga, but even in his third season, Maxey came off the bench for 19 of the 60 games he played.
Now, he is a max player and is among the top guards in the league. Maxey is one of the leaders for this Sixers team and will look to take another step forward in the 2024-25 season.
Agent Rich Paul hopped on “The Pat McAfee Show” and praised Maxey for what he has been able to achieve and shed some light on his rookie season:
They wanted to send him down to the G League. They wasn’t even going to draft hm, first of all, then they were gonna send him down to the G League. Then they decided to play him a little bit. It was COVID. It was a game that guys sat out. He scored 40 points against Denver, I think. We talked after that game. I said ‘Tyrese, great game, but you won’t play the next 10 games’. He was so confused. I was like ‘Yeah. Those 40 points mean nothing in terms of where you’re at in the pecking order’. Now today, he’s a max player, but he’s never allowed himself to make it about him.
To correct Paul, it was actually 39 points Maxey scored against the Nuggets in the 2020-21 season. He continued to play even when the Sixers did get healthy again, but his minutes understandably went down due to the fact that Simmons and Seth Curry were able to return from the health & safety protocols.
Either way, Maxey does deserve a ton of credit. While the Sixers were hopeful that he would be able to make that next step into stardom, it wasn’t a sure thing that he would. He has proven himself at a high level and Philadelphia will be looking to him to lead the way on its continued path for a title.
James will return on a two-year, $104 million contract worth the maximum he could sign. His deal includes a player option in the second season (which means this song and dance can continue next summer) and a no-trade clause.
Free agent LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $104 million maximum deal to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Deal includes player option and no trade clause. pic.twitter.com/gAEOmvfAzZ
James signed a max contract after his agent, Rich Paul, said that he would be willing to accept a pay cut if the Lakers could secure certain players around the league during free agency:
“The type of player that James would be willing to make a financial sacrifice for would be an established veteran playmaker such as James Harden or Klay Thompson, or an established big man to play alongside Anthony Davis such as Jonas Valančiūnas, sources told ESPN.”
Harden re-signed with the Clippers, Thompson was included in a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks, and Valančiūnas joined the Wizards. That left the best remaining free agents cupboard fairly empty, so James signed a deal for as much money as he could, which he earned the right to do.
According to ESPN, Paul and Rob Pelinka are “planning to discuss” the possibility of James potentially taking “$1 million or so” below the max. Until that happens, though, it looks like trouble for Los Angeles.
Due to the restrictions of the first apron, the front office would have a very unrealistic challenge to clear at least $25 million in salary to access the $12.8 million non-tax mid-level exception.
But they have even more harsh restrictions in the second apron, such as an inability to acquire a player (including a potentially appealing free agent like DeMar DeRozan) in a sign-and-trade.
As of right now, without salary dumping players in a trade, the Lakers can essentially only sign minimum players or re-sign their own players from last season (such as Taurean Prince) if they want to add to their roster.
Perhaps this team improves with new coaching and gets solid contributions from rookie Dalton Knecht or a healthy Gabe Vincent. Otherwise, however, there is little reason to expect this team to look any better than they did as a play-in team in 2023-24.
There is no one to blame but themselves for the situation getting this dire.
Bronny James is officially a member of the Los Angeles Lakers after the team selected him in the second round of the NBA Draft Thursday night.
The draft process was more peculiar than usual for the 19-year-old due to his dad being LeBron James and pops making public his desire to play on the same team as his son. That public knowledge muddied any real sense of Bronny’s true draft value and where he would end up.
Now, that some of those questions are answered, the next thing people may be wondering is if James is good enough to hold down a roster spot in year one, or whether he’ll be assigned to the Lakers’ G League affiliate. We already have some clues as to what might happen with that.
Who is the Lakers’ G League team?
Good question, because I’m guessing most of us don’t know many G League teams outside of the ones associated with our own teams.
The Lakers’ affiliate is called the South Bay Lakers. They play their games right in El Segundo, California, at the LA Lakers’ training facility called the UCLA Health Training Center. So if Bronny James does end up there, LeBron could watch him play all the time.
OK, cool, but will Bronny James actually play games for South Bay?
Well, if you believe his agent, the answer is probably not. Or at least not often. Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told Bleacher Report in May that James won’t sign a two-way contract, which allows for players to split time between the NBA and G League.
“Teams know that. I’m not doing that,” Paul said.
Rich Paul says his client, Bronny James, will not sign a two-way contract which allows players to be on an NBA and G-League team
In other words, he expects James to be a full-time NBA player his first year. And considering Paul’s relationship with the Lakers and their biggest star, I’m inclined to take him for his word. That doesn’t stop the Lakers from assigning James to the G League occasionally, but he’ll always have a spot on the big league team.
So will he see minutes for the Lakers?
This part is probably a little more open. He’ll definitely see the floor at times, probably in blowouts and garbage minutes. But will he actually crack JJ Redick’s rotation? I’m skeptical about it happening but I guess it’s possible.
It all depends on how he looks in Summer League, training camp and the preseason. If he progresses fast enough, anything is possible. We already know he’ll have a certain somebody in the building pushing him everyday to be the best player he can be.
However, ex-Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers may have just taken a needle to that spiteful balloon.
During ESPN’s draft show, Myers succinctly explained the current situation with Bronny. If a non-Los Angeles Lakers team drafts Bronny in the second round, then LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, has threatened them that Bronny will go play Australia instead of reporting to his new NBA team.
If I’m being candid, that doesn’t sound like a strategy someone would bluff about.
If it is true, it’s quite a gambit to try to ensure that Bronny plays with his dad in the NBA. However, given the tremendous influence Paul has on the league with Klutch Sports, it’s probably going to work:
"Rich Paul is calling teams, don't take Bronny James … if you take him, he's going to Australia."
At this point, if Myers’ claim is fact, I’m not sure if it’s worth it for another team to draft Bronny. With the Lakers and Paul seemingly so hellbent on getting him on the roster, it might just be best to let L.A. conduct its desired business.
Hours before the Lakers come up at No. 55 in the NBA draft, ESPN’s Bob Myers identified agent Rich Paul’s Bronny protection plan.
Have you wondered why other NBA teams won’t intervene and draft Bronny James? Have you asked yourself why other teams won’t claim Bronny James for themselves and see if that might entice LeBron James to leave the Los Angeles Lakers? We can all assume that behind-the-scenes plans were already in place. Thursday, hours before the Lakers came up at No. 55 in the NBA draft, ESPN analyst and former Golden State Warrior executive Bob Myers said he has been hearing backstage chatter about the plan agent Rich Paul has for Bronny James.
Myers said on ESPN that, according to what he is hearing behind the scenes, Rich Paul is calling NBA teams and telling them not to draft Bronny. That doesn’t seem especially notable in itself.
It’s the next detail which unveils the actual plan: Myers reported that if any team does pick Bronny before the Lakers pick at 55, Rich Paul has told teams that Bronny will simply go to Australia and play pro ball there, leaving that NBA team without a signed contract. The pick would be wasted. That’s the plan for “Bronny-proofing” the draft and making sure the Lakers get him at 55.
We should clarify: This article is being published before the Lakers pick at 55, but this report affirms the prevailing conventional wisdom that Bronny will be the pick at No. 55 in the NBA draft when the Lakers are on the clock.
Will Bronny James be meeting with more teams or desiring a two-way contract in the NBA? The answer is no. The NBA draft is here, and everyone is waiting to see where Bronny James lands. Agent Rich Paul is being asked about Bronny’s situation.
James has only worked out for two teams, his father’s Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, despite reported attempts by “a half-dozen NBA teams” to schedule time with him. His agent, Rich Paul said that the limited contact is by design, part of an effort to steer his client to the right spot. He is not willing to let Bronny sign a two-way contract, which would allow a team to move Bronny between the NBA and the developmental G League. Paul says he is doing everything in Bronny’s best interest, as he would for any client.
“This is nothing new,” Paul said in an interview with ESPN. “The goal is to find a team that values your guy and try to push him to get there. It’s important to understand the context and realize that this has always been the strategy with many of my clients throughout the years, especially those in need of development like Bronny. My stuff is by design.”
James, a former four-star recruit, played in 24 games as a true freshman, averaging 4.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 19.3 minutes per contest. He shot 37.4% from the floor and 27.3% from 3-point range any USC last season.
2024 NBA Draft:
Barclays Center (first round); ESPN Seaport District Studios (second round)
June 26 at 8 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN and ABC, June 27 at 4 Eastern on ESPN
LeBron, Bronny and Rich Paul have the NBA right where they want it
LeBron James is likely to opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers before the June 29 deadline. On June 26, the NBA will hold a draft featuring his son, LeBron James Jr.
Consider what ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Wednesday morning’s edition of “Get Up”:
“There is a large expectation in the league, as there has been for months by the way, that [LeBron] will opt out of that contract, more for contract structure reasons,” Windhorst said. “Not because he’s looking to leave. But obviously if you’re an unrestricted free agent, the door is open.”
Essentially, the James family has positioned every piece on the chess board exactly where they need it to come out on top. And there are quite a few scenarios that could end up as wins for them.
Let’s dive into them.
Why LeBron’s opt-out could help the Lakers
LeBron is going to get a max contract regardless of what happens here. That’s the one virtual guarantee. But he can structure his deal to give the Lakers a bit more room to improve a roster that clearly needs some tweaks after getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
Maybe Los Angeles can’t exactly add another All-NBA caliber star, but someone like DeMar DeRozan, Tobias Harris or Chris Paul could fit into their budget by the time free agency negotiating window opens on June 30, depending on what happens with D’Angelo Russell.
James clearly loves being a Laker and it would take a big shift to change that. His fingerprints are all over this team — and its current head coaching search — so anything that makes Los Angeles resemble a title contender again with James on the roster is a win.
What LeBron’s opt-out could mean for Bronny
This is where things start to get more complicated.
What we know for sure is that currently the Lakers hold picks Nos. 17 and 55 in the draft. It’s extremely unlikely they take Bronny at 17, considering he’s a fringe first-round talent in most mock drafts. That makes him a clear choice at No. 55, but every other team in the league knows that, too.
Complicating matters further is that Bronny is currently slated to work out with the Phoenix Suns, who own the No. 22 pick and GM James Jones is a former teammate of James in Cleveland and Miami. There’s also the rumors of interest from the Utah Jazz and the fact that the Boston Celtics own the No. 54 pick.
Two long-time Lakers rivals getting a chance to pluck Bronny in the draft before Los Angeles nabs him is exactly the NBA’s brand of petty.
By opting out of his contract before the draft, James applies a bit more pressure on Los Angeles to make sure Bronny is wearing a Lakers jersey when the season starts.
LeBron has opted out of his contract four times in his career. Twice he’s signed new deals to remain on the same team. Twice he’s bolted to a new city.
We simply won’t know which way LeBron is leaning until after the draft plays out. Would it be a shock to see James playing for a different franchise next year? Honestly, not really at this point in his career.
James has accomplished just about everything there is in the NBA. If his only goal now is to play with his son, then he’ll find a way to do so wherever that is.
Which brings us back to the main point: LeBron and Bronny have stacked the deck for themselves in multiple ways. We’re about a month away from learning how they want this all to play out.
(@Adeleisspecial) 
