As LeBron James weighs a possible 24th season in the NBA and a potential return to the Los Angeles Lakers, his relationship with the team continues to be a focus for those speculating about his future.
James, 41, and the Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA playoffs, leading to a lot of talk about where James would play if he comes back: LA, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors or something else?
For his part, James has said he’s yet to make a decision.
“I don’t know what the future holds for me … I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, spend some time with them, and when the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do,” James said after the loss to the Thunder.
An important factor, though, will most assuredly be James’ relationship with the Lakers, and as detailed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the two sides may not be on the best of terms.
LeBron James doesn’t feel appreciated by Lakers
McMenamin highlighted a March 31 post-game celebration after the Lakers topped the Cleveland Cavaliers during an insane March run.
“The win was the 1,229th of James’ career and moved him past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most victories by any player in NBA history (combined regular season and playoffs),” McMenamin wrote. “Not to mention, it came on a night when Luka Doncic topped 15,000 career points and Rui Hachimura reached 5,000.
“Still, James’ celebratory mood didn’t last long.”
That’s because, as McMenamin explains, Rob Pelinka, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager, presented the game ball to coach JJ Redick for his 100th coaching win.
James wasn’t trying to shade Redick, but instead viewed the incident as an example of Pelinka’s attitude toward the star.
“James, who played the past eight seasons in Los Angeles and helped deliver the franchise its 17th championship in 2020, saw Pelinka’s priority in that moment as yet another example of the Lakers taking him for granted, sources said.”
Despite that alleged affront, James led the Lakers to a first-round series win over the favored Houston Rockets, and though they were swept, the Lakers were competitive for portions of all four games against the Thunder.
That feat is especially impressive given the absence of the injured Luka Doncic.
“In doing so, James showed how impactful he still can be at his age,” McMenamin wrote. “It also underscored, once again, an awkward reality for James and the Lakers: They both might need each other more than either side would care to admit.”
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