LeBron James aims to win his fifth NBA title and solidify his place as one of the greatest players of all time (GOAT) in his 20th season. Only by winning championship rings can he impact future discussions about his legacy, aside from possibly passing retired teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for lifetime scoring. However, this became a problem as the Los Angeles Lakers were one of the NBA’s worst teams last season.
Even though the Lakers weren’t at the bottom of the barrel, the team failed horribly to live up to the enormous expectations everyone had for them.
LeBron on 'Win or Bust' Mentality:
"What makes me have sleepless nights is when you don't have everyone that feels the same way on your club." pic.twitter.com/VSRWNSOzX2
— 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙗𝙝 ⁶𓅓 (@OVOLakeShow) July 15, 2022
On his HBO show, The Shop, James made it clear that teammates who don’t care as much about winning at the highest level as he does bother him, and that their lack of passion for doing whatever it takes to get there keeps him up at night.
LeBron on teammates
LeBron has competed for several teams alongside various teammates. From players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas to superstars like Chris Bosh, LBJ has seen it all. However, Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis may have influenced LeBron most significantly over his career. The three names have all assisted LeBron in winning championships and left their mark on his career.
The four-time Finals MVP averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game while shooting about 53 percent. The Lakers were ousted from the playoffs due to their mismatched roster on a team that included Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, who were All-Stars multiple times. LBJ shouldered most of the load. Unlike his prior stints with the Cavaliers, James could not lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals.
“It’s the gateway to being successful for a long period of time.” 📈@KingJames discusses why team culture is so important and reflects on his early days in Cleveland on a new episode of #TheShop.
📺: https://t.co/RuzMhFL3zF pic.twitter.com/XhboTaRHzS
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) July 15, 2022
LeBron’s remarks on The Shop were construed as a subtle jab at Westbrook, who previously said that he was “OK” if the team did not win a title.
Westbrook struggled to adjust to the James-led system in Los Angeles for the remainder of his first season with the Purple & Gold. He is reportedly no longer interacting with James, who has been pressing for the Lakers to get Irving in return for Westbrook and a few other players. Westbrook, 33, was difficult to trade since he opted to enter the final year of his contract with $47 million remaining.
Year 20 incoming 👑@KingJames (via @ChrisJHoops) pic.twitter.com/x7NAL1W3UF
— Overtime (@overtime) July 15, 2022
His teammates’ lack of desire to win at the highest level “keeps him awake” at night, according to Lebron.
“What makes me have sleepless nights is when you don’t have everyone that feels the same way on your club,” he said on The Shop.
“It’s time when I wish I was a tennis player or a golfer where it was literally like, ‘Look in the mirror, motherf–ker, it’s you versus you,” he added.
Reports say that, despite the fact that LeBron did not specifically mention any of his teammates, the idea of what he was saying is evident, implying that not all Lakers share his level of devotion to excellence.
In his Hall of Fame career, James owns practically every honor on the NBA record list. The former leading scorer has frequently led his teams to the NBA Finals on his own, most notably with the Cavaliers. The 18-time All-Star is also a 10-time finalist.
In preparation for the next season, the Los Angeles Lakers have made significant roster changes.