With NBA free agency winding down on Thursday afternoon, the biggest sports free agent news dropped like a bombshell as FC Barcelona announced that superstar forward Lionel Messi would not be returning to the club in an official release.
messi lakers
Messi is to Barcelona what Kobe Bryant was to the Lakers, and his departure comes at a time when he’s securely on the back end of his prime while still being the game’s greatest talent on any given night. His incredible vision and passing are only surpassed by his ability to score goals at any moment from anywhere on the pitch.
This certainly all begs the obvious question:
Should the Lakers sign Lionel Messi?
Lionel Messi is leaving Barcelona
How social media reacted ?
It was the news many had prepared for mere months ago, yet as the new LaLiga season approached and whispers circulated of an agreement on a new contract between Barcelona and Lionel Messi, no one expected the bombshell that dropped on Thursday: Messi will not return to the Catalan club.
While the team did land Russell Westbrook this summer to play point guard, Messi’s ability to score and create would be valuable on the court. Last season for Barcelona, Messi moved from winger to play more centrally, showcasing a willingness to sacrifice for the team.
He would come in with a similar pedigree as Chris Paul, with neither having yet won an NBA title.
At a spry 34 years old, Messi would lower the average age of the Lakers’ free agent signings this summer. Similar to LeBron James, though, age has had little impact on Messi as he is on track for his seventh Ballon d’Or, the global soccer equivalent of an MVP award.
He also has connections to the Lakers in the past. He owns a Lakers jersey, has a history of playing in Los Angeles and was once in a set of actually funny commercials with Kobe himself for Turkish Airlines and the video game FIFA.
Few athletes in the world can relate to Messi’s star power, and James would be one of them. James is set to pass $1 billion in career earnings this year, joining a select group of athletes to do while still active, alongside Messi. Surely, those two would have some things in common to talk about.
LeBron James will pass $1 billion in career earnings this year, becoming only the 5th athlete to accomplish it while still active.
The big question in signing Messi would be money, with the Lakers only able to offer minimum deals and Messi being one of the most expensive players in the world. However, Messi was just willing to take a pay cut to continue to play for Barcelona, so it’s easy to imagine that the chance to sip wine alongside Jared Dudley and discuss Marvel villains with Dwight Howard would be too enticing to pass up.
In a star-driven league, the chance to sign a player like Lionel Messi does not come along often. He could be the final piece in the Lakers bid for banner No. 18.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles.
The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, an arena shared with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.
The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA, and have won 17 NBA championships, tied with the Boston Celtics for the most in NBA history.