The offseason chaos that reflected the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019 has been replaced by success, but a new report indicates that LeBron James was angry and frustrated at the time over the turmoil.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst looked at the manner of how James handled the Lakers’ situation, which was marked by severe criticism by many in the media.
James shared some of that anger, but had enough faith in the team’s management not to express his feelings publicly.
“Through all of the Lakers’ self-inflicted drama, James remained silent — not even a passive-aggressive grumble on social media — as he gave the team space to work through the situation,” Windhorst wrote. “James has sounded off in the past for far less significant organizational setbacks than these. He was frustrated, even angry, about these events, sources said, but his support didn’t waver. The message that came from James’ camp throughout the ordeal reflected only support for Buss and Pelinka.”
That drama included the abrupt resignation of Magic Johnson from the Lakers front office and the bungled contract negotiations that failed to land the team’s original choice for head coach, Tyronn Lue.
The silence of James was in contrast to his previous tenures in Cleveland and Miami, where he was never shy about publicly questioning the mindset of those teams’ respective front offices.
James’ approach came after what was arguably his most frustrating season, one in which he was limited to a career-low 55 games.
In addition, the Lakers failed to reach the postseason, making the first time in over a decade that a James-led team had missed the playoffs.
The Lakers eventually hired Frank Vogel as head coach, and more importantly, added Anthony Davis to their lineup.
The combination of those two additions and a healthier James has meant a transformation that now has the Lakers holding a 46-13 record. That mark has them in the top spot in the Western Conference, a position that would give them home-court advantage through the conference finals.
To maintain that position, the Lakers need to keep winning, with their next test coming on Tuesday night, when they face the Philadelphia 76ers at Staples Center.
