This NBA season gave the world two of the most disappointing teams in league history in the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. Both teams were widely considered title favorites heading into the season but both have already been sent home packing. The Lakers didn’t even make the playoffs while the Nets got swept in the first round.
At the center of both teams are two of the NBA’s biggest stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant. They are widely considered two of the best players of this generation and both have moved around a lot in their careers. There’s a conception that players like LeBron and Durant are able to dictate moves they want their teams to make. While they certainly have influence, Durant decided to set the record straight on if superstar players are dictating roster moves.
“I feel like that’s a narrative that [media created]. I don’t even think LeBron does that,” Durant told Yahoo! Sports. “He might have input or know some information. But him saying [pointing left], ‘This is who you should get.’ [Points right.] ‘That’s who you should get,’ I don’t think it works like that.
“I’ve been around Steph [Curry], he doesn’t work like that. Let people do their jobs. It’s not on me to overstep what they do. I’m just here to support. If they need me to text or call somebody that may come, of course.”
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Lakers Listen to LeBron but Don’t Do Whatever He Wants
There’s no doubt that certain superstar players do have influence over team decisions in most sports. It’s important to keep those players happy. However, it’s a leap to suggest that they make all of the decisions. In LeBron’s case, the Lakers have certainly listened to him. It’s no secret that he pushed for the Russell Westbrook trade in the offseason and the team also signed his good friend Carmelo Anthony.
While they do take his advice into account, they’ve also given him plenty of pushback. If he got whatever he wanted, Ty Lue would be the Lakers’ head coach right now. Westbrook also likely would’ve gotten traded for John Wall during the season. He clearly has plenty of influence but the team isn’t beholden to him.
Are Lakers Alienating LeBron?
If what Durant is saying is true, then LeBron isn’t necessarily trying to dictate every decision within the Lakers organization but he does want some say. He’s 37-years-old and only has so many years left to play. He got off to a rocky start with the team during his first season but they were able to win a championship the following season. The last two seasons haven’t been nearly as successful.
There was an abundance of leaks to come out in the news throughout the season and many of them painted LeBron in a negative light. It’s likely that a lot of those leaks came from the Lakers’ front office. It’s a dangerous game to try and alienate LeBron right now as he’s still their best player and is represented by a powerful agent in Rich Paul. If the Lakers want to right the ship, they have some damage control to do this offseason.
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Kevin Durant Fires Back at Popular LeBron James Misconception