Kanye West Believes LeBron 'Needs to be in Cleveland'

LeBron James' decision to sign for the Los Angeles Lakers might have set pulses racing across the NBA, but Kanye West believes the four-time MVP should have stayed in Cleveland.

The three-time NBA champion left the Cavaliers for a second time in July, when he opted out of the final year of his deal with the franchise and signed for the Lakers as a free agent, putting pen on paper on a deal worth $154 million over four years.

The move was widely hailed as the shot in the arm the Lakers and the NBA as a whole needed, with the best player of his generation moving to arguably the most glamorous franchise in the league and Hollywood adding another shiny star to its pantheon.

However, it would appear Kanye is far from a fan of the decision.

"It's not my place, but just to make it 'Ye, I feel like LeBron really needs to be in Cleveland," West said during a sit-down with Harvey Levin during his latest appearance on TMZ.

"It ain't my place, and I'm sorry Mav [LeBron's business partner, Maverick Carter] and LeBron. I know that's speaking out of place but I feel like LeBron needs to be in Cleveland, 'Ye [West] needs to be in Chicago."

Aside from the fact Kanye is probably the only celebrity—with the exception of those supporting the Cavs—to be disappointed by LeBron landing in Hollywood, his comments are interesting given his recent forays in the world of U.S. politics.

Over the weekend, the rapper was booed in the studio during a Saturday Night Live after a rambling performance in which he praised U.S. President Donald Trump and said he would run for office in 2020.

Wearing a Make America Great cap , Kanye launched into a tirade against the Democratic Party and reiterated his support for Trump.

"So many times I talk to a white person and they say: 'How could you like Trump, he's racist?' Well, if I was concerned about racism I would've moved out of America a long time ago," he said.

The singer also claimed he had got a hard time backstage about his head wear, suggesting the producers had told him not to wear the MAGA cap on stage.

GettyImages-1043884042
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles during a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets at Valley View Casino Center on September 30 in San Diego, California. Harry How/Getty Images

While Kanye is obviously firmly in the pro-Trump camp, LeBron is at the opposite end of the political spectrum and has repeatedly criticized the President.

Last month, the 14-time All-Star praised Nike for choosing Colin Kaepernick as the main testimonial of its "Just Do It" 30th-anniversary campaign, a decision which was strongly criticized by Trump and other Republicans.

In July, as he opened his I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, LeBron accused the U.S. President of using sports to divide the country, in response to Trump's repeated criticism of NFL players who chose to protest during the national anthem.

A month earlier, ahead of the NBA Finals, he claimed that neither the Cleveland Cavaliers nor the Golden State Warriors would visit the White House if they won the NBA title.

Uncommon Knowledge

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more

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