Rich Paul: Joining Lakers was LeBron 'doing what he wants to do'

If LeBron James had a list of things he wanted to accomplish before hanging up his kicks, it's safe to assume he's checked off most of them.

From his three NBA titles to his four MVP awards, the 33-year-old has seemingly done it all. It's not as though he's going to take his foot off the gas with the Los Angeles Lakers, but this next (and perhaps final) stage of his career certainly contains less pressure than his stints with his previous two teams.

"In 2010, when he went to Miami, it was about championships," James' agent, Rich Paul, told Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins. "In 2014, when he went back to Cleveland, it was about delivering on a promise. In 2018, it was just about doing what he wants to do."

The Hollywood element appears to have also played a part for James, who has several acting credits to his name and owns a production company.

The Lakers didn't possess another superstar ahead of his arrival, either, so there was (and still is, to an extent) a great deal of uncertainty over how the team would look heading into next season. There's always a chance management will pull off a trade for Kawhi Leonard, but if they simply choose to wait out the year, James could have a rough go getting the Lakers through the minefield that is the Western Conference.

In the end, he's where he wants to be, and doesn't have to worry about getting over any humps or fulfilling promises. Unless, that is, "the ghost" in Chicago continues to keep him up at night.