3 reasons LeBron James will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers

1. Winning

It’s been almost a decade since the Lakers were considered championship contenders. It’s been five years since they last made the playoffs. Over the last two seasons, however, the Lakers have been on the rise. The infusion of versatile young talent, hiring Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka to run the front office and the growth of head coach Luke Walton have all contributed to the team’s recent success.

Adding James to the mix can only increase the rate at which the Lakers are improving. Signing James and another star player like George will certainly vault the Lakers back to title contention.

While many will argue the Eastern Conference is the easier path to the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics were one game away from making the championship round last year without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. The 76ers, equipped with superstars in the making Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, look to be serious contenders for the next decade.

The Western Conference has been the more dominant division recently thanks in large part to the Golden State Warriors and Rockets. Several other Western Conference teams consisting of young superstars are looking to make a splash including the New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Still, a versatile Lakers team that includes James will surely give the teams atop the Western Conference a run for their money.

Next: Imagining the Lakers' rumored dream 2018-19 lineup

Aside from the Celtics, the Lakers are the winningest franchise in the NBA, with 16 championships to their name. If James can help the Lakers tie the Celtics’ record by reaching championship No. 17 and perhaps even surpass it, he will be forever immortalized in Los Angeles Lakers lore.