>> I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD.

>> Jimmy: THANKS FOR COMING.

I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS FOR

YOU.

IT'S WEIRD TO SEE YOU IN GREEN,

THOUGH, I HAVE TO SAY.

IT'S LIKE IT'S UPSETTING IN A

WAY.

>> WELL, MAYBE I JUST WANT TO

PAY, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE HOMAGE

TO LARRY BIRD.

>> Jimmy: YEAH, YEAH.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

OR HOMAGE TO ALL THE MONEY YOU

JUST GAVE LeBRON.

>> WE GAVE HIM A LOT.

>> Jimmy: YEAH, RIGHT, YOU DID.

>> THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I

GOT IN TROUBLE.

>> Jimmy: I KNOW.

>> MAKE SURE I DON'T GET IN

TROUBLE TODAY.

>> Jimmy: YOU KNOW, I GOT IN

TROUBLE TOO.

PEOPLE WERE MAD AT ME BECAUSE

THERE WAS A FINE ASSESSED.

THE LEAGUE TAKES THESE FREE

AGENT CONVERSATIONS VERY

SERIOUSLY.

>> $500,000.

>> Jimmy: $500,000 AS A RESULT

OF YOUR APPEARANCE ON THIS SHOW.

>> AND WE HAVE A GOOD TIME TOO.

[ LAUGHTER ]

BUT THE THING I WOULD MAD AT,

EVERYBODY OUT HERE, JIMMY DIDN'T

CALL ME TO SAY, HEY, I'MA THROW

IN $100,000, $3 200,000.

>> Jimmy: NO.

>> I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO

CALL SAYING, I'M GOING TO HELP

YOU OUT.

>> Jimmy: YEAH, NO.

WELL, DON'T YOU GET LIKE $800

FOR BEING HERE?

[ LAUGHTER ]

THAT'S MY CONTRIBUTION.

>> OKAY, YOU MADE YOUR

CONTRIBUTION THAT WAY.

>> Jimmy: A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO

YOU ANNOUNCED IF YOU WERE UNABLE

AS PRESIDENT OF BASKETBALL

OPERATIONS TO BRING A MAJOR FREE

AGENT TO THE LAKERS, YOU WOULD

QUIT, YOU WOULD RESIGN, YOU

WOULD CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A

FAILURE.

AT THAT TIME DID YOU HAVE A GOOD

IDEA THAT YOU WERE GOING TO GET

LeBRON?

>> NO.

>> Jimmy: YOU DID NOT.

>> NO.

BUT I HAD CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF

AND ALSO THE LAKER BRAND, THE

LAKER YOUNG PLAYERS THAT WE

HAVE.

LUKE WALTON AS THE COACH.

YOU KNOW, ROB POLINKA AND I WILL

DO OUR HOMEWORK, AND WE REALLY

THOUGHT WE HAD A GREAT PLAN TO

INTRODUCE TO LeBRON.

WHEN YOU GOT AN OWNER LIKE

JEANIE BUSS, I THINK ALL THOSE

THINGS -- I THINK WE HAD A

STRONG ARGUMENT TO HIM TO COME

JOIN THE LAKERS.

AND SO I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET IN

FRONT OF HIM BECAUSE I HAD

WATCHED ALL THE FILM ON HIM WHEN

HE WAS WITH CLEVELAND, THE FIRST

TIME, WHEN HE WAS WITH MIAMI,

THEN WHEN HE WENT BACK TO

CLEVELAND.

SO I HAD A SENSE OF HIS GAME.

AND WHAT HE WANTED IN TERMS OF

WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR.

BUT I HAD TO GET IN FRONT OF HIM

TO JUST --

>> Jimmy: SELL HIM ON IT?

>> WHERE WE ARE, THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Jimmy: IT'S INTERESTING HOW

IT WORKS.

YOU MENTIONED THAT FINE.

BECAUSE THE RULES ARE VERY

STRICT.

AT 9:01 P.M., THAT'S ON JUNE

30th, THAT'S WHEN YOU ARE ABLE

TO START SPEAKING TO LeBRON.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Jimmy: NOT A MINUTE BEFORE

THAT.

>> NOT A MINUTE BEFORE.

>> Jimmy: YOU DO GO TO HIS

HOUSE.

DID HE INVITE YOU TO HIS HOUSE.

DO YOU CALL AND SAY, I'D LIKE TO

COME TO YOUR HOUSE?

>> THAT'S GOOD.

[ LAUGHTER ]

YEAH WE HAD TO CALL AND ASK FOR

PERMISSION.

>> Jimmy: I SEE, YES.

>> TO HAVE A MEETING.

BUT ROB CALLED, HIS AGENT.

AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT RICH

PAWS, HIS AGENT.

WE TALKED AND SAID LeBRON WOULD

LOVE TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE

LAKERS BUT HE WANTS TO HAVE IT

WITH MAGIC SO THAT'S WHAT

HAPPENED.

>> Jimmy: THEN WERE YOU EXCITED?

GREAT, I GET TO BE IN THERE BY

MYSELF?

OR DID YOU RATHER ROB WAS THERE,

THE WHOLE TEAM WAS THERE?

>> I WAS READY, MAN.

>> Jimmy: YOU WERE READY TO DO

IT.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

I WORK BEST BY MYSELF.

I SHOWED UP AT 8:00.

>> Jimmy: YOU SHOWED UP AT 8:00.

BEFORE YOU TOOK THIS MEETING

WITH LeBRON, DID YOU SPEAK TO

LONZO BALL'S FATHER TO MAKE SURE

IT WAS OKAY?

[ LAUGHTER ]

OKAY TO RECRUIT HIM TO BE A PART

OF THE TEAM?

>> I WOULD HAVE CALLED YOU FIRST

BEFORE I CALLED LAVAR BALL,

TRUST ME.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

NO, I DIDN'T CALLA VAUR.

>> Jimmy: YOU DID NOT CALL,

OKAY.

>> NO, AND ASK PERMISSION.

SO I GOT TO 8:00 --

>> Jimmy: YOU'RE AN HOUR EARLY,

WHAT DID YOU DO, SIT IN THE CAR?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

I'M AN ON-TIME GUY.

I WAS JUST HOPING THAT I DIDN'T

HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM.

I WAS LIKE, OKAY.

>> Jimmy: IT WOULD BE A WEIRD

WAY TO START.

>> EXACTLY.

I WOULD HAVE GOT FINED BECAUSE I

HAD TO GO EARLY, RIGHT?

>> Jimmy: YEAH, RIGHT.

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ANPEE, YEA.

YOU GET TO LeBRON'S HOUSE.

>> I'M SITTING OUT THERE.

I WAIT FOR 9:00.

SO AT 9:00 I INCH TO THE GHATE.

>> Jimmy: OKAY.

>> I DON'T RING THE BUZZER TILL

9:01.

>> Jimmy: THEY REALLY HAVE YOU

PARANOID.

>> OH, MAN.

THEY HAD ME SO SCARED.

>> Jimmy: IT'S CRAZY.

>> BECAUSE YOUR HALF MILLION

DOLLARS I WAS THINKING ABOUT

THAT.

[ LAUGHTER ]

>> Jimmy: YEAH.

AND IT WASN'T LIKE THAT BACK

WHEN YOU WERE --

>> NO.

>> Jimmy: -- PLAYING, RIGHT?

IT WAS DIFFERENT.

>> IT'S DIFFERENT NOW.

>> Jimmy: YOU SIT DOWN WITH

LeBRON.

AND HOW DO YOU OPEN IT?

LIKE HOW DO YOU START?

DOES HE START, DO YOU START?

>> OF COURSE HE GREETED ME AT

THE DOOR.

WE SAT DOWN.

AND I TELL YOU SOMETHING, JIMMY.

THIS GUY IS SO SMART.

>> Jimmy: WHAT WAS HE WEARING?

[ LAUGHTER ]

>> THERE'S SOME SHORTS, YOU

KNOW.

HE HAD ON HIS LeBRON NIKE GEAR.

>> Jimmy: OKAY, ALL RIGHT.

>> AND LOOKING VERY SHARP.

>> Jimmy: GOTCHA.

>> YOU KNOW.

VERY RELAXED.

>> Jimmy: UH-HUH.

>> WE JUST, YOU KNOW, STARTED

TALKING ABOUT HOW WE BOTH GREW

UP, FIRST.

AND HOW WE HAD PROBABLY THE SAME

EXPECTATIONS OF, YOU KNOW,

PEOPLE EXPECTED US TO WIN AND BE

GOOD AND WE BOTH MIDWEST BOYS,

HIM FROM OHIO, ME FROM MICHIGAN.

WE STARTED THAT DIRECTION.

THEN WE HEADED TOWARD THE

LAKERS.

AND HE BROKE DOWN EVERY PLAYER

ON OUR TEAM.

THEIR STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES.

HE ALREADY KNEW, YOU KNOW, THE

GUYS ON OUR TEAM.

>> Jimmy: YOU WERE IMPRESSED BY

THAT?

>> I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH

THAT.

THE FACT THAT HE KNEW HE COULD

FIT INTO THIS YOUNG CORE THAT WE

HAD.

AND SO WE JUST STARTED A

DIALOGUE.

AND BEFORE WE KNEW IT, YOU KNOW,

TWO HOURS HAD PASSED ALREADY.

BUT IT WAS A LOT OF LAKER

EXPECTATIONS AND OFFENSE,

DEFENSE, YOU KNOW.

HOW HE LIKES TO PLAY.

AND WHAT WAS GREAT IS THIS IS

HOW HE WANTS TO PLAY TODAY.

RIGHT?

THE WAY THE LAKERS PLAY, WITH

PACE.

HE'S GOING TO REALLY TAKE OUR

PLAYERS TO THIS LEVEL.

>> Jimmy: SURE HE IS.

>> MAKE THEM SO MUCH BETTER.

>> Jimmy: 24 HOURS AFTER THAT

GOLDEN STATE, WHICH THEY ALREADY

HAVE THIS UNBELIEVABLE TEAM,

THEY SIGN DeMARCUS COUSINS,

WHO'S ANOTHER ALL-STAR.

>> RIGHT.

>> Jimmy: IS THAT DISPIRITING

WHEN YOU HEAR THAT?

>> NO, NO, I LOVE COMPETITION.

I LOVE CHASING THE BEST.

THEY'RE THE BEST, SO WE'LL LOOK

FORWARD TO PLAYING AGAINST THEM.

>> Jimmy: I SEE.

DO YOU THINK AT THIS POINT THE

LAKERS, THE WAY THE TEAM IS

SITUATED RIGHT NOW, COULD BEAT

GOLDEN STATE?

>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WILL

LOOK FORWARD TO THAT CHALLENGE,

RIGHT?

EVERYBODY EXPECTS GOLDEN STATE

TO WIN AGAIN.

BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE

CHALLENGE AND TO PLAY THEM IN

THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS.

>> Jimmy: RIGHT.

>> IF WE COULD GET TO THAT

POSITION.

SO I'M NOT -- I'M A COMPETITOR.

SO I'M NOT SCARED OF GOLDEN

STATE.

I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT GOLDEN

STATE.

THEY DON'T KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT.

I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A REALLY

SOLID TEAM, A GOOD TEAM, A

COMPETITIVE TEAM, AND A

TOUGH-MINDED TEAM.

AND WE GOT GUYS NOW WHO ARE

WINNERS.

LeBRON JAMES BRINGS A

CHAMPIONSHIP MENTALITY TO OUR

TEAM.

SO DOES RONDO.

HE'S WON A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH

BOSTON.

>> Jimmy: SURE, YEAH.

>> AND THEN JaVALE McGEE, WHO

USED TO PLAY FOR GOLDEN STATE,

HE'S WON TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS.

>> Jimmy: BEFORE YOU SIGN THESE

GUYS, DO YOU TALK TO LeBRON

ABOUT IT?

>> OH, FOR SURE.

>> Jimmy: YOU DO.

>> FOR SURE.