Los Angeles Lakers star LBron James found himself in headlines again recently, this time for some shocking comments made by his former general manager, David Griffin.
It’s starting to seem like Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James can’t live these days. If the world doesn’t believe that LeBron James hasn’t taken over as the most polarizing sports figure on the planet, I’ll be more than happy to convince you over the next several pages.
How polarizing is he? One of his best friends, Carmelo Anthony, was on ESPN’s First Take Friday talking about the scenario of joining LeBron and Dwyane Wade in Miami. Even though Melo is trying to get back in the NBA, LeBron James is still part of the discussion.
First, Jason Whitlock talks about LeBron’s antics at his son’s AAU game comparing his obsession with fame to cocaine (trust me sports fans, he did.) while telling him what he needs to do.
Now David Griffin drops a bombshell and talks about misery with LeBron James among other things?
The amazing thing about stories like these is the insight that nobody knows about at the time. There was no one that even thought that while LeBron James was busy saving the Cavaliers 2016 NBA Finals championship with one of the most iconic plays in history.
David Griffin was planning his exit out the door. David Griffin had a sit-down interview with Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated to talk about a variety of topics from his continued fights with cancer, to struggles with child conception, to what he is building down in New Orleans.
It was a very thorough interview. But it’s going to be his quotes about his three years in Cleveland with LeBron James that will dominate sports headlines for the rest of the week.
"“Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not fun. I was miserable,” Griffin says. “Literally the moment we won the championship I knew I was gonna leave. There was no way I was gonna stay for any amount of money.”"
Well, that decision was probably made for Griffin anyway (Explanation on that later!) based on Dan Gilbert’s hiring and firing practices. But it was David Griffin’s questioning the motivation of LeBron James that will play out throughout the season.
NBA fans may want to get their sick days ready because the Los Angeles Lakers scheduled games against the New Orleans Pelicans will be just as hot as the Clippers games.
"“There wasn’t a lot else for him,” Griffin says. “I don’t think he’s the same animal anymore about winning.”"
If that is the case, that doesn’t really vibe with the Lakers plans next season, especially after they had to move Heaven and Earth (Twice!) to chase Anthony Davis. It makes things worse when the entire future of the franchise was mortgaged to a guy that made the statement to make the trade.
The SI article started reports mentioning rumors floating around the NBA that James only cares about playing long enough to play with his son Bronny and owning an NBA team. Based on my experiences with Lakers fans, that is not on their wishlist.
Then when ESPN reported about David Griffin being miserable trying to construct a winning team around his star, he was quoted in a statement that we have heard time and time again.
"“The reason is LeBron is getting all the credit and none of the blame. And that’s not fun for people,” Griffin says. “They don’t like being part of that world.”"
Kevin Love on line one! Chris Bosh on line two! I know what everybody is thinking.
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?
It’s a known fact that Dan Gilbert never re-signs his General Managers! It’s also known that he doesn’t get along with LeBron James!
Kendrick Perkins has really found a second career analyzing the NBA on numerous platforms and talk shows. When the ESPN report came out about Griffin’s comments, Kendrick came out as strong as ever.
https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1157011095397240832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1157011095397240832&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fnba%2F2019%2F08%2F01%2Flebron-james-shocked-david-griffin-cavaliers-lakers-pelicans-response
Is Kendrick’s statement off? Well, there is something about Dan Gilbert that has made him one of the more unpopular NBA owners these days.
Gilbert became infamous after LeBron left Cleveland to go to Miami. He wrote a letter on the team’s website claiming that the Cavs would win a title before LeBron James would (That did not happen.) among other things that LeBron considered “racial”.
The NBA probably thinks along the lines of LeBron but they did fine Gilbert $100,000. Gilbert also issued an apology. No one will ever have a total understanding of LeBron’s return to Cleveland.
However, his one year max deals definitely held the franchise accountable. Maybe Griffin was affected by the collateral damage.
Plus, it is no secret that Dan Gilbert has never signed his GMs to a second contract (Good luck Koby Altman!) in his tenure as owner of the Cavaliers. Before Griffin, it was Danny Ferry who was shown the door. The coaching hires haven’t been as stable either. Wanna ask David Blatt, Tyronn Lue, Larry Drew or Paul Silas?
David Griffin claimed to have wept after the Finals back in 2016. Seems he wasn’t the only one that wasn’t happy that night.
Kyrie Irving was reportedly upset after Game 7 of the NBA Finals!
The great thing about these NBA players is how they can perform at the highest level at the grandest stage.
First David Griffin was planning his exit while LeBron makes “the Block”. It seems that after Kyrie Irving was angry after hitting the biggest shot in Cleveland Cavaliers history.
He’s not happy? Not according to Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective podcast.
"“He won The Finals (in 2016 with the Cavs) and he was angry. He seriously won The Finals, his father and sister came out to hug him and he was angry. He was mad, in that moment. And then, when he got to the locker room, while his teammates were celebrating, he FaceTimed Kobe (Bryant).”"
The brunt of this report at the time loses a lot of its steam after the drama-filled mess in Boston last year. But it does speak to the “culture” that David Griffin was talking about. As for Kyrie, this could have been how he was feeling at the moment. His mood swings in Boston was as well-known as his crossover dribble.
Before he left Cleveland, Kyrie Irving felt “marginalized” by James’ role as the primary ball-handler and being the face of the franchise. Plus, rumors of LeBron James pulling side deals didn’t help matters either. Coincidentally, this was the last Griffin trade exploration because he left soon after.
An excerpt from ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan explains what went down.
"…In mid June, shortly before [David] Griffin left, team and league sources confirm, the Cavs explored a three-way deal with Phoenix and Indiana that would have shipped Irving and Frye to the Suns and brought Eric Bledsoe and Paul George to Cleveland. The Suns resisted, unwilling to part with their No.4 pick, which they planned to use to draft Josh Jackson. No formal offer was made by any of the teams, but news of this potential transaction stung Irving who, sources close to him say, became convinced that LeBron’s camp, which also represents Bledsoe, orchestrated the trade talks…"
Soon after David Griffin left as GM, Koby Altman, his replacement traded Irving to Boston.
One of the biggest debates in Inside The NBA history may have provided insight into what David Griffin is talking about.
When the Golden State Warriors found reinforcements in Kevin Durant the next year, LeBron James got very frustrated with the Cavs roster. Even though the Cavaliers were near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, LeBron went off in the media when the Cavaliers were in a slump.
"“It’s like when you don’t have bodies. It’s tough,” James said. “The f—ing grind of the regular season. We’re a top-heavy team. We have a top-heavy team. We top-heavy as s—. It’s me, [Kyrie Irving], [Kevin Love]. It’s top-heavy.” “We need a f—ing playmaker,” James said. “I’m not saying you can just go find one, like you can go outside and see trees. I didn’t say that.”"
The subject got to the TNT set that Thursday night and Charles Barkley wanted to know what LeBron’s problem was. Shaquille O’Neal had no problems telling Charles in his outdoor voice.
Well, that conversation set off a media firestorm. LeBron James had his statement directed at Charles Barkley questioning his credibility, his past transgressions and even the 1993 Finals when Barkley was seen laughing with Michael Jordan.
"“I’m not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that,” James told ESPN. “I’m not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, ‘I’m not a role model.’ I never showed up to All-Star Weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying.” All I’ve done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that.”"
But the way Charles Barkley explained it with the All-Stars of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson may have been what David Griffin was thinking at the time. The Cleveland Cavaliers were miles over the salary cap at the time. Plus the signing of Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith to salary cap draining deals were linked to James’ influence as well.
Welcome to a slow news day in the NBA!
The one thing that LeBron James is a genius at is making sure that he controls the narrative in any situation. This episode will be no different. David Griffin probably will learn a valuable lesson from this even though he more than likely was telling the truth.
It only takes one quote out of a long interview to bring ratings, page views and attention to a story used in another context. Dave McMenamin breaks down what Griffin will have to do to clean this story up. Good luck with that. He tried to on ESPN’s The Jump.
David Griffin discusses experiencing the constant scrutiny of the 2016 Cavs and the sudden pivot from rebuild to contention upon LeBron's return. pic.twitter.com/Cw0A4juhXA
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 2, 2019
Does this really matter in the grand scheme of things? No. It was three years ago. Everybody needs to move on. David Griffin got what he wanted in New Orleans. LeBron James is body bumping his son on AAU courts and Dan Gilbert will have plenty of people to fire over the next few seasons.
Truth be told, we are all starving for stories these days and this came along and the NBA media jumped on it. Nothing more.