LeBron James' agent seemingly takes subtle shot at 'losing' Lakers

Long before the end of the season, LeBron James' future with the Los Angeles Lakers was already a question mark.

That's why watching him take his talents elsewhere wasn't as surprising as the destination itself. Of all places, finishing his career with the Philadelphia 76ers seemed odd.

However, sometimes these decisions are simple. The 76ers offered him a clear path to an NBA championship, which is something the Lakers couldn't.

Talking to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, used a simple analogy to explain James' decision, all while taking a subtle dig at the Lakers. 

LeBron James was tired of losing with the Lakers

“There's no loyalty in business. Especially for an athlete. That's like playing blackjack. You got both of your cards up, and the dealer is only showing you one of theirs. It's not like, ‘I'm going to stay in here. I'm going to keep losing. I'm going to lose 20 hands in a row because I'm just loyal to you, the dealer,'” Paul said. 

Even if he didn't say it, the subtext was pretty clear. LeBron didn't think the Lakers could give him an opportunity to win another championship in the next two years.

Notably, Paul has been overly critical of the Lakers' roster since he started his podcast. Of course, it would be naive to think some of that criticism isn't coming from LeBron James himself.

Granted, general manager Rob Pelinka has made his fair share of questionable moves, and the Lakers' roster isn't on the same level as the 76ers'.

That said, any team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and/or Luka Doncic should've competed for a championship, and the Lakers broke up their championship core at James' request to pursue Russell Westbrook.

Whatever the case, his own agent just laid it all out: there's no loyalty in business.