LeBron James's camp denies the lies: he never changed his mind

LeBron James's camp has firmly pushed back against television speculation surrounding his free agency status. Those close to the four-time NBA champion have called claims that James had already chosen his next team before changing his mind at the last minute "lies".

According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, sources close to James clearly denied the rumours that had circulated this week. The controversy was sparked by ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins on NBA Today, when he claimed that LeBron had already made his decision, but then backed out. Perkins said the decision was never about money but about the right environment, and that the star unexpectedly went back to the drawing board.

Insider Shams Charania offered a different take on The Pat McAfee Show. According to him, no outside factor or trade held James up in any way. "The conversations happened. As far as I know, LeBron and his agent, Rich Paul, weren't waiting for another domino to fall or for a possible Anthony Davis trade," Charania said, adding that the choice came down purely to championship chances and finding the right organizational culture.