Getty Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and guard Rajon Rondo
The drama surrounding Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is heating up, and part of it stems from recent moments which seemingly point to the All-Star taking plays off on defense. With the Lakers in the midst of a crucial stretch that will determine their postseason fate, James has been under a microscope even more than normal.
But after the most recent stretch from the Lakers, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith couldn’t contain himself while talking about LeBron. Specifically, the fact that the Lakers star has blamed teammates at times for what are believed to be blown assignments. On a segment for ESPN’s First Take, Smith went off about the topic and ripped him for pointing the finger at teammates when he opts to “take plays off.”
“The problem is, when you know that an assignment is yours, when you have elected to take plays off, and then in front of thousands of people in attendance and millions of people watching, you are demonstrably pointing the finger at your teammates as if it’s on them, not you, it’s a problem. And why is it a problem? because of what Kevin Durant said earlier in the season – playing with him, the expectations that come with it, media members and others fawning all over him, he can do no wrong so it must be somebody else’s fault.” Smith said.
“Combined with players naturally feeling that way because others have alluded to it as well. As a result, it puts him basically in the position of a bully pulpit, where you’re able to point the finger at other people and there’s little to nothing that they can do because they don’t have the cache or the credentials to dare question LeBron James, let alone speak out against him publicly.”
Topic of LeBron James’ Defense
One of the plays Smith refers to came against the Memphis Grizzlies when he simply didn’t move out of the paint to allow a wide-open 3-pointers. Lakers coach Luke Walton later moved blame for this away from James, but it was still interesting to watch, per House of Highlights.
This was just one of many instances that have drawn attention, and multiple others stood out from the mix as well. Shortly after the above play, multiple others began to come to light, including one against the Houston Rockets.
LeBron activating his playoff defense 💯
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A number of defensive mishaps have drawn attention, but there’s no denying that James is taking public scrutiny for this. It’s been a hot-button topic, and with the Lakers in need of wins and strong play on both ends to make the playoffs, it’s only going to continue to be a talking point as well.
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