"What's his nickname... LeGM?" - Former NBA champion looks back at LeBron James assembling a title-winning Cavaliers squad
Throughout his NBA career, LeBron James has built a reputation of being more than just a player. Along with being one of the game's top talents, he has also been credited with having a major say in regards to the roster around him.
Multiple instances back up this thought process regarding the LA Lakers forward. Who can forget when James joined forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to secure his first two championships? There have also been numerous reports that James had a say in the Lakers' trade for Russell Westbrook last offseason.
While most of this is purely speculation, a former teammate of James peeled back the curtain regarding this matter. During a recent appearance on the "I AM ATHLETE" podcast, irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kyrie Irving spoke about James putting together a championship-winning team in Cleveland:
"Bron was behind the scenes. What do they call him? LeGM. ... He put the squad together. I wasn't mad at him."
Irving should be more than pleased with the work James did behind the scenes to help shape the roster. If he hadn't, the All-Star guard might not have a championship ring on his list of accomplishments.
Kyrie Irving confirms LeBron James is actually βLeGMβ when talking about their Cleveland Cavaliers teams. ππππ
(Via @IAMATHLETEpod) https://t.co/zhtBI6BoUd
Have organizations given LeBron James too much power regarding roster moves?
Some might feel this is a bit excessive, but it's a rather common occurrence in the NBA landscape. When a team has a star player they want to keep happy and maximize, giving them a say on the roster is part of the process. LeBron James just happens to be the player who has the biggest reputation in regards to this matter.
Given all the different places he's played, the question can be asked if organizations were right to give James this much say in who gets put around him. For the most part, the answer should be an emphatic yes.
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Everywhere he has gone, James has delivered a championship. He has an incredible basketball IQ and knows what types of players he needs around him in order to succeed.
The only time this could be viewed as a failure is the Russell Westbrook trade. From the start, everyone said the move didn't make sense and wasn't going to work on the court. The former MVP struggled to fit alongside James and certainly played a role in the Lakers missing the postseason this year.
Funny nicknames aside, James deserves some credit for his roster-altering opinions. Who knows, this could lead to him running a front office when his playing days are over.