Los Angeles Lakers: David Griffin says its miserable building around LeBron James! LeBron Shocked!
By Ronald Agers
![(Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/7ecccf0eb93e087ae262f027d03527d70fbad3c1b3a1b90db3caaee2aaf39a5a.jpg)
LeBron James and his camp were shocked! Griffin said it was taken out of context.
I’m not an expert at these things, but LeBron James and his camp were a little bit perturbed at David Griffin’s comments.
https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1157047766318637057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1157047766318637057&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fnba%2F2019%2F08%2F01%2Flebron-james-shocked-david-griffin-cavaliers-lakers-pelicans-response
I’m going to be real with everyone. The NBA will be stocked with so many storylines, you would think the ’80s were back and Magic Johnson was battling Larry Bird again.
Folks this is going to be really good. However, this would not be such a big deal if this narrative was floating around anyway. David Griffin was the first big name to say it at a time that nothing NBA wise is going on.
Was some of this taken out of context? Sure. The SI article is long and covers numerous subjects. But the media does find things to promote articles, shows and other platforms. That’s the name of the game. We all do it.
But let’s see why the NBA world is paying attention to David Griffin’s comments. Let’s break it down.
Griffin thought LeBron’s motivation fell after delivering Cleveland its first title in 52 years. Well, LeBron did mention that he thought he was the G.O.A.T. after winning the title.
https://twitter.com/uninterrupted/status/1079526745730998272
It does bear mentioning that the Cavaliers defensive intensity fell off the cliff the next year. Falling from 10th in the NBA to dead last is not a good look. Plus, LeBron does have his passive-aggressive moments when he makes quotes that come back to bite him.
Everyone remembers that “Activation of playoff mode” comment that blew up in his face. I remember the quote back in February at the trade deadline when the Lakers didn’t land Anthony Davis.
"“It’s nothing I need to get in this league that I don’t already have,” James said at a shootaround in Boston. “So, everything else for me is just like icing on the cake. Even though I love the process of everything that I go through to be able to compete every single night and put teams in position to compete for championships. But there’s nothing that I’m chasing or that I feel I need to end my career on.”"
So David Griffin was not totally off his rocker making these statements. To LeBron James credit, he might feel blindsided by this report.
When Griffin was let go, LeBron publicly backed him. Moreover, he and others assumed that the two had a good relationship. I mean LeBron promoted his wife’s business on Twitter!
https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1152287890392547328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1152287890392547328&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2F
Let’s put this in perspective. LeBron James has 43 million followers on Twitter. That is four million more than ESPN, who has 39 million. The point? That one tweet amounts to millions worth of free publicity. (Hey LeBron if you are reading this or any future pieces, can I get retweet!) In the era of social media, LeBron James probably feels betrayed.
But is this really LeBron James fault that David Griffin felt so miserable? Maybe it was the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers?