Los Angeles Lakers: Is LeBron James sending a message to Kawhi Leonard?

LeBron James seems hell-bent on showing the league that he’s still the cream of the crop. Is the Los Angeles Lakers star also sending a message to Kawhi Leonard?

Let’s explore one aspect of Los Angeles Lakers superstar, LeBron’s James‘ revenge tour around the NBA. His motivation isn’t solely fueled by the outsiders who saw a #WashedKing struggle because of a groin injury while playing alongside a young Lakers squad last year. He’s sending a more inclusive message.

Think back to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and his offseason survey, which polled executives, coaches and scouts on the best player in the league. Do you remember the results?

• Kawhi Leonard: 12
• Giannis Antetokounmpo: 6
• James Harden: 2

No one voted for James. In the eyes of most, the best player in the league over the last decade didn’t make the cut.

In NBA.com’s general manager survey, Leonard received 62 percent of the votes for best small forward while James had 24 percent.

This all sounds petty, but James pays attention to media perception and naysayers, which certainly sparked his #WashedKing tweet when he became the first Laker to record three consecutive triple-doubles since Hall of Famer Magic Johnson:

James hears the doubters if they have a large enough platform. He knows NBA fans are ready to pass the scepter to the Leonard, who led the Toronto Raptors to their first title and earned his second.

On top of that, Leonard could’ve joined forces with James but decided to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers to play alongside Paul George. Based on his messages via social media, James isn’t ready to get off the throne and place the crown on Leonard’s head.

In a society where most people care about the latest trends, James wants to remind everyone he’s not old news.

Like James before the 2018-19 season, Leonard stirred up a frenzy during the summer with the world waiting to find out where he’d sign in free agency. The 28-year-old dominated the headlines.

Call it a hint of jealousy or the need to bounce back, James’ impressive 18-game start to the season seems like a direct message to Leonard and the people ready to put the NBA world in his hands—not so fast.

In tandem with Anthony Davis, James has the Lakers franchise envisioning more hardware. While the Clippers are the leading favorites to win a title (+300), the Purple and Gold boast a league-best 16-2 record.

While the NBA’s best player and small forward, according to some executives, coaches and scouts, has missed six games because of a legitimate knee injury filed under load management, James suited up for all 18 contests and averages a league-leading 11 assists per game.

We already knew James possessed top-notch ball distributions skills, but he’s essentially become the best point guard in the league, logging 57 percent of his minutes at the position.

Perhaps the general managers were right in voting for Leonard as the top small forward. On the other hand, James’ ability to display another feature of his game at a high level may force people to pump the brakes on Leonard’s reign as the best player in the league.

Obviously, James isn’t taking direct aim at Leonard for the opinions of other people, but the Clippers forward is a huge obstacle in the Lakers’ route to another title. As a competitor, The King wants to show his nickname still appropriately applies to him.