Playing with LeBron James?…Good Luck Fellas…You’ll Need It!

The young players on the Los Angeles Lakers are going to need to adapt to everything that comes with playing on a team with LeBron James.

Unless you have been living in a coma for the last decade, LeBron James is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He signed a four-year, $154 million contract. LeBron James will make the Lakers great again…HOORAY!

Now comes all of the hidden costs that come with playing with a polarizing figure like James. It starts with the expectations of the entire franchise. The Los Angeles Lakers have gone from re-building and developing for the future to “WIN NOW” mode about as fast as the front office hitting the enter key to make it official.

LeBron James’ game is to quote my man J.R. Smith…

"“It’s almost…it’s a blessing – it’s a gift and a curse”"

Sure this quote was said after one of the most umm let’s say unfortunate situations that have ever happened in a Finals game in any era. So this could be a player that is trying to crawl under a rock.

BUT…

In a sense he is right. There are probably a ton of former teammates (Start with that 2009 Cavs team that got beat down by the Spurs in the Finals!) that can start a Wikipedia page on how difficult it is to play with LeBron James without losing your identity. The poster child for adjustments is Chris Bosh.

Check out what he said to Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick of his difficulties being a part of Miami’s big three along with Dwyane Wade…

"“Yeah, it’s  a lot more difficult taking a step back because you’re used to doing something a certain way and getting looks a certain way. And then it’s like, well, no for the benefit of the team, you have to get it here.”"

People forget that this guy was a franchise player with the Toronto Raptors with all the perks of having full reign being the first option. Down in Miami, he was the third. What truly gets lost is Wade’s ability to adjust his game and still be highly effective. More on that later.

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How about your contributions being a vital piece in the success of a LeBron James led team?

Let’s ask Kevin Love…courtesy of Business Insider.

"“I know that you know when we have success I might not get the credit and when we do lose or have a bad string of games that I might get the blame but that comes with the territory.”"

Remember this was a franchise player as well in Minnesota. He was easily considered at the time one of the best power forwards in the NBA. He went from the “Golden Boy” to sometimes being the goat (For the record that is the animal, not the greatest!).

The one player that has an inside read on all the important players involved on the Lakers this year is Channing Frye. He joined the LeBron James “I want a ring” program and won an NBA title in Cleveland.

He also knows the young Lakers core after being traded at the deadline with Isaiah Thomas in the Cleveland reboot for Larry Nance and Jordan Clarkson. For the Lakers it allowed themselves to be rid of Clarkson’s contract opening cap space for two max players. They did get one…

LeBron James.

Here’s his opinion told on USA Today’s LeBron Wire.

"“I think the thing that they’re going to come to and I think a lot of guys are going to have to deal with is this. There’s who you expect to be and and then who you are when you play with LeBron. It’s two different things. I don’t know if they truly understand what it’s like to play with him because there are no room for mistakes. Because in all actuality, he could do it himself. He could lead a team to 40 wins himself. I think for all of them they’re going to have to have a reality check, not only them but the people around them. There’s going to say, not a growing period, but a humility.”"

Oh boy…humility? In the Western Conference? That conference with Golden State in it?

Boy, is this going to be interesting. Frye is right in every sense of what he said above. Let’s break it down.

The Lakers core meaning Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and ESPECIALLY Lonzo Ball are going to make mistakes. A ton of them. Why? Because they are young!

Ball and Kuzma are in their second year in the league and Ingram is entering his third. If you want a record of how James treats young players, Mario Chalmers comes to mind. In his time playing with LeBron in Miami, James would let him have it at times, on the floor and the bench. Chalmers dealt with it to the point of two titles but it remains to be seen the temperament of these three.

There’s the statement of Channing Frye mentioning the people around them? Well, forget about it. I think everyone knows who that applies to (Are you listening LaVar?)

Throw in this scenario. It should be a known fact that every player on the team will have adapted their games totally to fit in not only with how LeBron James plays but within the system Luke Walton rolls out. There has to be a balance here. The veterans will struggle but the experience will help them out. The young guys? Not so much.

How about the limelight? No check that, the cross between a spotlight and heating lamp of playing on a LeBron James led team?

Kevin Love said it best. These three will get no credit but all of the blame. How can a young player keep his confidence with the media knowing that this could be a no-win situation like Kevin Love points out? Is it impossible to play with a guy like LeBron James?

No. It has been done.

The key to playing with LeBron James is believing that what you provide is just as important as what he provides. Perfect example…Kyrie Irving.

Kyrie Irving couldn’t sniff the playoffs before LeBron James came back to Cleveland. However, he believed he was just a big a star as his counterpart. That’s why he was able to knock down the game-winning shot to bring the Cavs the title. He mentally was always strong during his tenure of playing with LeBron. Irving seemed to be able to hold his own when James got frustrated. The young guys are going to have to deal with that.

Another example…Dwyane Wade.

Let’s be clear here, Miami does not win those two rings without Wade’s influence. Wade understood that he HAD to take a step back and do the little things to push the Heat over the hump.

When Magic Johnson was an analyst for ESPN, he told Wade himself that he admired how he sacrificed his game for the good of the team. He went on to call Wade the most unique superstar he had ever seen.

Dwayne Wade found the perfect balance of playing with LeBron James. He could step back at times could and be able to take over and score down the stretch, something Kyrie Irving could do as well. If Kuzma or Ingram could step up and gain these qualities it would be a feather in their cap. LeBron James needs shooters that can knock down shots late.

This is going to be a chemistry experiment for the world to see. This team will be together for at least one season (my guess will be about to the trade deadline) and the elements will be changing drastically.

There will be additions (Kawhi Leonard maybe?) and some of these players will be gone. The young players’ ability to adapt to what Channing Frye stated above will show if they stay or not.

Good luck fellas…history shows that you’ll need it.