Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below the main deck of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken are so pleased I let them help put together the latest episode of my Cephas Hour podcast that they have commissioned a special artwork to commemorate the occasion ...
I’m amazed it’s not a mural devoted to fish crackers.
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Anyway, Jason Whitlock over at The Blaze had an interesting observation on July 3, 2025, regarding LeBron James’ NBA future as his playing years draw to a close.
Long story short, Whitlock believes it would best serve James’ aspirations for one more championship before hanging up his Nikes to request a trade to the Indiana Pacers for the primary purpose of connecting with a team that has immediate championship aspirations, something the Los Angeles Lakers cannot claim as they attempt to rebuild themselves around Luka Dončić provided he sticks around; more on that later. The secondary, but not inconsiderable, reason would be enabling Nike to pair James with Caitlin Clark of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever in the same market for a marketing push aimed at strengthening the swoosh in the heartland.
From a strictly basketball viewpoint, the notion of James on the Pacers has at least some appeal. With Indiana’s star player, guard Tyrese Haliburton, out for the entire 2025-2026 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and with the shocking departure via free agency of center Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers could use some good news. Adding center Jay Huff, who was previously with Memphis, and the re-signing of James Wiseman should solidify the position previously held by Turner. Losing Haliburton, however, leaves a large void. Assuming Indiana could swing a deal with Los Angeles primarily focused on giving up draft picks rather than any of the team’s remaining core members, LeBron could help keep the Pacers in the championship mix, especially in the Eastern Conference race, which looks wide open.
I mentioned how Dončić is not guaranteed to remain in Los Angeles. Despite being the Lakers’ new focus, under his current contract, he is eligible to become a free agent in 2026 if he neither signs an extension nor chooses not to exercise his player option to opt out of his current deal at the end of the 2025-2026 season. The Lakers’ in-town rivals, the Clippers, have demonstrated a willingness to sign paychecks containing large numbers. Los Angeles’ “other” basketball team would love nothing more than plucking Dončić from the purple and gold’s clutches and dropping him into their spiffy new arena. There is at least the potential for some drama in Hollywood, basketball style.
Off the court, much to the irritation of the bitter ballers, James has been tremendously complimentary and supportive of Clark as she has at times seemingly single-handedly battled the WNBA’s appetite for self-destruction in lieu of accepting how she has raised the league to popular culture relevancy. Even as the WNBA will quickly learn why madhouse expansion will serve no purpose save illustrating that the Golden State Valkyries’ massive success is the exception and not the rule, so the league and its players will for their own sake hopefully learn in the very near future that when it comes to widespread acceptance, for some unfathomable reason people prefer athletes who are decent human beings over ones embracing entitlement with no authentic foundation for same upon which to stand.
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The other factor at play is Nike. While in word and deed the swoosh has spent years striking a pose as the wokest of the work — Colin Kaepernick, anyone? — it has also seldom lost sight of its primary function. Namely, making Philip Knight and associates scads of money. This involves reading the room, and regardless of what the mainstream media bleats, the room is presently running right. The current conqueror of popular music, packing out not just stadiums, but arenas, isn’t this week’s saggypants hip-hop huckster. It’s modern country singer Morgan Wallen. And for the people in the back, too busy crying to notice what’s going on, the conservatives won the popular vote last year.
As I’ve mentioned before, my current day job is at a sporting goods store. We sell a wide range of Nike products — apparel, shoes, equipment, and more. The swoosh is a lightly disguised dollar sign for all involved parties. Remember, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so you’d assume the store’s clientele would lean heavily to the left. Surprisingly, this is not the case, as on those occasions when people do voluntarily bring up their political or social views, which I never ask about, they are all over the map. Regardless of where people stand, they still buy Nike. As Michael Jordan said when asked why he seldom, if ever, voiced his political views, “Republicans buy shoes too.” Actually, we buy more since we have jobs.
That said, James’ penchant for shooting from the lip has not endeared him to the right side of the aisle, thus lessening his potency as a salesperson for Nike merchandise. What better way in the twilight of his career to attempt softening his image than pairing him with the one true star of women’s basketball? Better yet, having them both play in the most basketball-mad state in the United States, and one that is the deepest of deep red to boot? Indiana’s governor, Mike Braun, is a Republican. 70 of the 100 members of the Indiana House of Representatives are Republicans. Of the 50 members of the Indiana Senate, 40 are Republicans. Both of Indiana’s U.S. Senators and seven of its nine members of the United States House of Representatives are Republicans. It’s safe to say Indiana is a conservative stronghold.
LeBron James’ final act as a NBA player taking place while he dons the blue and gold of the Indiana Pacers could well be nothing more than idle musing during the basketball equivalent of baseball’s hot stove league, which since it takes place in the summer and early fall would make it the air conditioner league. It is something to think about, though, especially if Nike decides it wants to make it happen.
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