'He struggles to be around the normally motivated' - A close source reveals the extent of LeBron James' competitive nature

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Brooklyn Nets v Los Angeles Lakers

You could easily argue that LeBron James is the greatest basketball player and one of the greatest athletes of all time. His talent, work ethic and mental strength are known to fans and rivals alike.

A four-time MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP and three-time championship winner, LeBron James has a resume that any basketball player would envy. He is one of the most hard-working and skilful players in the NBA and is obsessed with winning, which reportedly can make him a difficult teammate to work with.

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A source close to LeBron James sheds light on his competitive nature

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop, a source who knows LeBron James well, called his "oppressive, overwhelming and anti-social" competitiveness the "most under-told story in sports".

Abbott also noted -

" He struggles to be around the normally motivated, gets impatient with those who don't work as hard as he does and has little tolerance for mistakes."

To back Abbott’s claims, there have been instances where LeBron James has lost his cool in moments where his teammates have let him down. One instance is the 2018 NBA finals when his Cleveland Cavaliers teammate shooting guard J.R. Smith forgot the score and after securing a rebound off a missed free throw, held on to the ball instead of passing or shooting.

This led to the game going to overtime where the Golden State Warriors defeated them 124-114, which left LeBron James fuming. LeBron James scored 51 points and a victory in game 1 on Warriors court could have swung the momentum in Cleveland’s favour. 

In his first #LakeShow production, @LakerFilmRoom presents:

The King and his Freshness, connected by instincts. pic.twitter.com/z7HAsh9N8Y

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 28, 2020

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Abbott also wrote that the lack of young stars developing under LeBron James and the fact that many of the rosters put around him have been subpar are a result of him being tough to work with.

Abbott even looked into the rationale behind LeBron James wearing a mouthguard, and noted that a source close to LeBron told him that he wears one to stop himself from yelling at teammates, referees and others in an effort to avoid technical fouls.

However, LeBron James has forged a successful partnership with power forward Anthony Davis. The LA Lakers are first in the Western Conference standings thanks to the superstar tandem. They have also drawn comparison to the showtime era LA Lakers duo Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The LA Lakers are strong favourites for the NBA championship and LeBron James would be looking to win his fourth career ring and first with the historic franchise.

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