LeBron James-Lakers tension like 'the early days of a war' - New York Post

Amid the rubble of an All-Star weekend in which LeBron James publicly mentioned the prospect of a return to Cleveland and said he would play his final season alongside his son, Bronny — all of which reportedly came as a surprise to the Lakers — it looks more and more like things are heading south between the two sides.

The vibe between James and the Lakers is comparable to “the early days of war,” one source told The Athletic.

James and Rich Paul are reportedly putting pressure on the organization, with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka wanting to avoid engaging. Clearly, James wanted Pelinka to make a trade at the deadline, which he did not do.

And with the team struggling, sitting ninth in the Western Conference at 27-31, listening to James seems a questionable decision. He was, after all, the driving force behind the acquisition of Russell Westbrook, a move that has spectacularly failed for the Lakers this season.

The tension between LeBron James and the Lakers is reportedly like “the early days of a war.”

AP

The dynamic, though, is such that it puts the Lakers in a bind. They’ll want to do everything possible to keep James, but if that means pushing Pelinka — Kobe Bryant’s former agent — out of his job, then it’s not clear whether that would be a step too far.

Capitulating to James’ requests has always been a condition of having him on a team. The Cavs frequently made moves that seemed designed to bring in players who were in his circle, and the Lakers have followed suit.

The difference is, it hasn’t worked out in LA — at least not to the same extent.

LeBron James did win the 2020 NBA title with the Lakers, but his other seasons in LA have not gone well.

AP

Though the Lakers won the title in 2020, they missed the playoffs in James’ first year there and exited early last year. The Cavaliers, by contrast, steamrolled the Eastern Conference every year that James played in his second stint in his hometown.

At 37, though, he can no longer single-handedly will a team to the NBA Finals. And what exactly happens now that the tension within the organization has gone public is unclear.

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