"Does LeBron have to sign off on that?" – Max Kellerman insinuates LeBron James may have had hand in Russell Westbrook benching
The fallout from the LA Lakers' 111-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers has, as expected, brought a fresh round of criticism to the underperforming high-profile team starring LeBron James. Russell Westbrook's fourth-quarter benching was the most eyebrow-raising moment Wednesday night.
On ESPN's radio show "Keyshawn, JWill and Max," sports media personality Max Kellerman questioned how much James knew about Westbrook's benching in the fourth quarter. Kellerman said:
"There's so much there. Later on we are going to have to get to the Westbrook benching. Does LeBron have to sign off on that? He does have a lot of influence. You talk about the island of misfit toys, the way this thing was put together ..."
The Lakers' struggles have been well documented. Coach Frank Vogel seems to be constantly trying to find the formula for success. His latest moves have seen James play center and now Westbrook benched in a big moment. Whether this is the way forward is a question only Vogel can answer as rumors of him potentially being fired have swirled around the Lakers camp.
Does LeBron James wield too much power with the Lakers?
Arguably the greatest player of all time, LeBron James throughout his career has created championship-winning rosters from seemingly out of nothing.
His return to the Cleveland Cavaliers or his move to the LA Lakers came after both franchises had struggled to get into the postseason. Upon James' arrival, the franchises' directions changed and he transformed them into contenders.
Having someone of James' caliber will obviously improve their chances. "King James" has often been credited with the ability to make those around him better and to take over games when it truly counts. Another thing that comes along with the territory of having LeBron is his ability to recruit players to play with him.
LeBron James is the only
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player in NBA history. https://t.co/uYbupYCFMj
Kevin Love and Anthony Davis are two players whose trades have been orchestrated by James and the front office of the organization. This is where James has invited more scrutiny as few players in the NBA have this much power. Then again, there is no one like James.
Russell Westbrook's acquisition by the Lakers is down to James as the Lakers were focused on getting Buddy Hield from the Sacramento Kings. This hasn't worked out the way the Lakers and James hoped it would. The lack of chemistry between the superstars has been evident and is one of the many problems facing the franchise.
If LeBron James continues at a pace of 25.0 PPG, playing roughly 75 games per season, he would be NBA's all-time leading scorer in 2022-23.
With all that said, James acting like a GM and constructing the roster is what comes with the territory of having someone of his caliber. And when viewing his track record of four championships with three different teams, there isn't really an argument against it.