LeBron James has made his choice, and it does not include the Los Angeles Lakers. The biggest question in basketball is no longer whether he will leave but where he will go next. While many around the league expected this outcome,  former teammates and NBA voices rushed to weigh in.

On Tuesday, Shams Charania reported: “After eight seasons with the Lakers, including leading the franchise to the 2020 NBA championship, LeBron James departs and enters free agency set to join a new team.”

Before free agency opened, Lakers president Rob Pelinka and Rich Paul held a brief conversation about LeBron James’ future. Out of respect for the organization and their years together, James informed the team of his decision early. Thus, giving the front office enough time to shape its offseason plans. While the Lakers made it clear they hoped to keep him, the four-time NBA champion ultimately decided it was time to continue his career with another team.

While fans filled Charania’s Instagram comment section with their messages and creative GIFs, James’ former teammate, Kendrick Perkins, Patrick Beverley, and others dived in to share their feelings. Perkins had a big issue with LA for letting James walk away.

Kendrick Perkins and others were left flabbergasted after the Lakers let go of LeBron James

Big Perk wrote under Shams’ post, “A big mistake by the Lakers.” Mistake or not, the 2026-27 season will surely decide that. However, LA undoubtedly gave up on a leader. More than anything, LeBron James held the reins of the team in tough situations. Perkins pointed out on First Take, “They cannot afford to lose LeBron James. It’s one thing about your performance between the lines, but it’s another thing to be a leader. If we want to take a deep dive into Luka Dončić, when have we ever said that Luka Doncic is a great leader of a franchise?”

He argued that while Doncic reached the NBA Finals, leadership is a different conversation. He pointed out that Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, SGA, and Wemby are regularly praised for leading their teams, whereas Kyrie Irving filled that role in Dallas. Therefore, losing LeBron James would strip the Lakers of elite production and the steady leadership that shapes everything beyond the game itself.

Take the first round of the 2026 playoffs against the Houston Rockets as an example. The Akron Hammer didn’t have Doncic and Austin Reaves by his side. Yet, he led the series, averaging 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. He helped the Lakers win 4-2 against the Rockets.

Meanwhile, Gilbert Arenas took to his Instagram and shared a Reel to share his reaction. With Shams’ tweet in the background, he acted as if reading it, then pulled out a pillow and went to bed! His caption did the rest of the talking. Arenas wrote, “Ummm im going back to sleep! its not even the first and our season is already OVER 🤦🏾‍♂️.” What he meant is that the calendar didn’t even change from June 30 to July 1 and the Los Angeles Lakers have already ended their season! Could that be an overstretch? Well, we wouldn’t know until next season.

Lastly, Patrick Beverley, LeBron’s former Lakers teammate, added to the drama. He, too, took to his Instagram and shared a Reel. And it looked like he took a jab at the 41-year-old. “Bron goated for that,” he said. “Yeah, ‘I’m gonna wait till my son signs and gets his bag. Yeah, because I ain’t coming back. It ain’t personal. It was business.” But Beverley didn’t end there.

He went on, “Oh my goodness. He waited till Bronny got his stuff right off the table. ‘Okay, cool. Yeah, I ain’t coming back. Yeah, my son is cool. I’m gonna go as well. Love, love, love.’ That’s crazy.” The Los Angeles Lakers could have saved a million dollars by waiving Bronny James on Monday. However, they converted his $2.3 million deal into a fully guaranteed contract. And right after this announcement, the news of LeBron’s exit showed up. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not!

Well, the decision has been made, and LeBron is leaving the Lakers this summer. Where he goes will be interesting to observe.