Feb 1, 2020; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James is notorious for the degree of control he has over the players he plays with. How much control he has, however, has been a matter of debate.
Kyrie Irving would know, and he seemingly confirmed a lot of the “LeGM” talk when reminiscing about their time together on the Cleveland Cavaliers in an appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast. Irving said he “wasn’t mad at” LeBron for exerting his influence, but he quickly figured out how things worked.
“Bron was like, behind the scenes…what’s his nickname that people call him? LeGM?” Irving said. “He put the squad together. I wasn’t mad at him. I was like, ‘Alright, this is how it goes.'”
Irving’s tone was light-hearted, so he may have been exaggerating a bit. Still, there is no denying how much influence James had over the roster during his second stint with Cleveland, and he wasn’t afraid to exert it.
James has faced similar accusations with the Los Angeles Lakers. The organization has insisted that he is not calling the shots, but few really believe that.
Dec 9, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) warms-up prior to the game against the Memphis Grizzles at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Luka Doncic has led the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals with some dominant postseason performances, and one of the greatest players in NBA history is watching him closely.
LeBron James gave Doncic a big shoutout on Twitter this week. One of the Los Angeles Lakers star’s followers asked him who his favorite player under 25 is. LeBron replied that Doncic is his favorite player, period.
That is high praise from a future Hall of Famer, but you can see why LeBron enjoys watching Doncic so much.
Doncic nearly averaged a triple-double during the regular season with 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists. He’s a multi-dimensional player and one of the game’s biggest stars. He had 33 or more points in four of the Mavericks’ seven games against the Phoenix Suns last round.
In addition to amazing skills, Doncic has shown he has a great winner’s mentality from the time he came into the NBA. He’s easy to root for, so we get why LeBron is such a big fan.
Jan 21, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Lebron James’ impromptu Twitter Q&A on Monday revealed some fun tidbits about his life, including his favorite movies (among others, “Gladiator” and “The Godfather”) and his favorite book (“The Alchemist”).
But one question from the greatest quarterback of all time stole the show.
Tom Brady participated in the Q&A, asking LeBron who would win if the two squared off in a five-round hockey shootout.
me but barely. May be swinging from my knees though. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
LeBron believes that he would barely win. He certainly has the size advantage, but Brady’s ultra-competitive streak would make things more interesting.
One NHL team volunteered to host the matchup.
We can set this up
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) May 17, 2022
The Dallas Stars took the opportunity to show appreciation to their goalie, Jake Oettinger, who made 64 saves in Sunday’s 3-2 Game 7 loss to the Calgary Flames in the Western Conference first round.
Dec 9, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) warms-up prior to the game against the Memphis Grizzles at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James is still performing at an elite level. The 37-year-old averaged 30.3 points and 6.2 assists in 56 games this past season.
Still, with a few injuries forcing him to miss some time in 2021, and the fact that he is not getting any younger, questions remain about how much longer LeBron will play in the NBA.
During a Twitter Q&A on Monday initiated by LeBron, the 18-time All-Star was asked by one of his followers how many more years he’ll continue to play.
LeBron didn’t divulge any specifics in his answer, but did hint that he’s nowhere close to being done.
The way I feel, I can go on for a min to be honest. It's really up to me and my mental staying fresh/sharp! I'm still psycho driven!
Regardless of the fact that he wants to play with his son, LeBron’s desire to return to the NBA Finals following the Lakers’ disappointing 33-49 season may be enough motivation for him to stick around for a while longer.
Dec 9, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) warms-up prior to the game against the Memphis Grizzles at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
In addition to advising NBA front offices, LeBron James now appears to be advising NFL draft picks as well.
Speaking with reporters Friday, Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey revealed that he recently got some advice from the Los Angeles Lakers star James. Winfrey, who is represented by Klutch Sports Group, the agency that also represents James, said he that had a phone conversation with the former NBA MVP before the NFL Draft.
“[James said] don’t listen to the outside noise, just try to be the best version of myself every single day,” said Winfrey, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “[He talked about] enjoying the journey and falling in love with the grind and everything that I want will come into play if I just put my head down and work … I’m trying to bring a championship to Cleveland just like [James] did.”
Winfrey, a second team All-Big 12 selection at Oklahoma this past season, ended up being drafted by the Browns in the fourth round (No. 108 overall). He will have a chance to start in 2022 on a defensive line that also includes three-time All-Pro Myles Garrett.
As for James, he remains a vocal supporter of the Browns, his hometown NFL team. Having a Browns player under his wing at Klutch has to feel pretty special now for James too.
Jan 21, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James feels like one of Patrick Beverley’s biggest personal rivals, but you wouldn’t know it based on some comments Beverley made this week.
Appearing recently on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” the Minnesota Timberwolves guard Beverley named the one NBA superstar he would most like to play with. Surprisingly enough, Beverley picked James, adding that it was an “easy” decision.
On the surface at least, the Beverley-James relationship has been nothing but animosity over the last several seasons. Beverley made no secret of his disdain for James when the two both used to play in Los Angeles, and the clowning continued during the three times that Beverley’s Timberwolves blew out James’ Lakers this season. James even seemed to fire back at Beverley with a dig on social media last month.
But it turns out that this may all just be gamesmanship and competitiveness with no real bad blood existing between James and Beverley. After all, that is just who Beverley is with everybody he faces in the NBA — an elite troll.
Phil Jackson seems to want the Los Angeles Lakers to go full Keyser Söze mode this offseason.
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times said this week during an appearance on “The Doug Gottlieb Show” that he has heard Jackson, who has recently been advising the Lakers, would like them to trade LeBron James. Plaschke, who has covered the Lakers and L.A. sports for several decades, including when Jackson still used to coach the Lakers, did add that there is nothing “on the record” to back up the claim that Jackson wants James traded. But Plaschke did also say that Jackson would like the Lakers to keep Russell Westbrook and try to make it work with him.
This may be a case of Jackson being proactive with his suggestions, realizing that James, who averaged 30 points per game this season, still has plenty of trade value while Westbrook has little to none right now. Jackson would not be the first one to propose the Lakers move on from the 37-year-old James while they can still get something in return for him. But it is worth noting that James and Jackson have prominently feuded in the past.
LeBron James has been consulted on major roster decisions throughout much of his career. It is obvious that he has had input into moves the Los Angeles Lakers have made since they signed him, but owner Jeanie Buss resents any talk of LeBron and his representatives running the team.
Buss told Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times this week that bouncing ideas off your top players is “smart business.” She also said she wants to make sure LeBron is happy with the team around him. However, Buss draws the line at any talk of James and Klutch Sports calling the shots in L.A.
“Do they have final say? No. Are they running the team? No, no, not at all,” Buss said. “I am controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, I’m held accountable for every decision that’s made here.”
A recent report claimed the Lakers’ front office has been internally pointing the finger at LeBron and company for the failed Russell Westbrook trade. Klutch Sports, which represents both James and Anthony Davis, supposedly pressured the Lakers to make the move.
Buss said the results for the Lakers this season were “hugely disappointing” and that she is prepared to make big changes this offseason. LeBron recently tried to claim he will not be part of those decisions, which most people found laughable.
LeBron is often referred to as “LeGM” for a reason. Even if he is not consulted on every roster move, he probably has veto power. Just don’t expect Buss or anyone else with the Lakers to admit that publicly.
Michelle Beadle has spoken openly in the past about the tension between her and LeBron James, and apparently there was a time when the Los Angeles Lakers star tried to address it privately.
During a recent appearance on “The Sessions” podcast with Renee Paquette, Beadle was asked about the status of her relationship with LeBron James. She reiterated that LeBron doesn’t like her and said she thinks it may have to do with her criticizing “The Decision” like so many others. Beadle also revealed that James once sent her a direct message asking why she has been critical of him.
“I made fun of ‘The Decision,’ and I was one of about a bazillion people that did. … It was hilarious,” Beadle said, via Jonathan Sherman of Lakers Daily. “And I remember I got a — this was a long time ago. I guess when I followed him, and I got a DM that was like, ‘Why are you so mean to me on television?’ And I just sort of laughed it off. I didn’t even think about it.”
Aside from her mocking “The Decision,” Beadle said the only thing she can think of is that LeBron and others had parties at the London Olympics and she never attended. Perhaps that bothered James. She has also bashed him on TV numerous times, though she says that was just part of her job.
Jan 21, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The production company owned by LeBron James and Maverick Carter is working on another film, and this one is based on the Los Angeles Lakers star’s life.
NBC’s streaming service Peacock on Monday announced the release of three original movies that are coming in 2023. One of them is “Shooting Stars,” which follows LeBron’s origin story as a high school basketball player in Ohio. Filming is currently underway in LeBron’s hometown of Akron.
Academy-award nominees Rachel Winter and Terence Winter are producing the movie along with The SpringHill Company, which was founded by James and Carter.
Some information about the movie has been trickling out for a while. We learned several weeks ago which actor will be playing LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, in the film, and the choice is somewhat surprising.
LeBron has been dabbling in Hollywood for quite some time and recently starred in “Space Jam 2.” His newest movie should be a bit more serious in nature.
