"Look in the mirror motherf**ker, it's you vs you!" - LeBron James on wishing to be a tennis player or golfer, says he has "sleepless nights" about players not being competitive like him on his own side
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James is in championship mode all the time. His competitive fire has helped him reach the NBA Finals 10 times, which isn't an easy feat to achieve. James has taken every step necessary to instill his 'win or bust' mentality in his teammates.
Playoff leaders since 2010:
Points — LeBron James
Rebounds — LeBron James
Assists — LeBron James
Steals — LeBron James
Blocks — Serge Ibaka
Wins — LeBron James
King James has been dominant. https://t.co/EUeRdX0dhL
The four-time NBA MVP has been open about recruiting players from his side, which suggests LeBron has put a lot of thought into building cultures for the teams he has represented. However, James hasn't always had teammates with the same competitive spirit.
@KingJames 
Championship or nothing 🏆 @KingJames
(via The Shop) https://t.co/nUGfiHNWuj
During a recent appearance on HBO's The Shop: Uninterrupted, LeBron James revealed his thoughts regarding the same. He claimed that sometimes he wishes tennis or golf were his preferred options as he would've had no one but himself to blame for his failures as opposed to team sports.
"I'm obsessed with win or bust," said LeBron. And what makes me have sleepless nights is when you don't have everyone that feels the same way on your club.
"Like, it's times where I wish I was like, a tennis player or a golfer, where it was literally like, 'look in the mirror, motherf**ker, it's you vs you.'"
LeBron James and LA Lakers could find it difficult to turn things around
The LA Lakers went into a win-or-bust situation last season when they made the blockbuster trade to sign Russell Westbrook. The Lakers also added players like Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard to pair alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
A squad with so much star-depth was unsurprisingly expected to make the NBA Finals. However, the season was a bust, arguably the worst in franchise history. But James continued to show that he is far from done, putting up MVP-caliber numbers.
He averaged 30 points per contest and played in the center position for most of the season. But the Lakers failed to make the playoffs or the play-in tournament, finishing with a 33-49 record.
The LA Lakers have made only two playoff appearances in James' four seasons with the team, winning the title once and enduring a first-round exit in 2021.
They exhausted all their assets in building their current roster. That left them little to no flexibility in swinging for a trade or free agency signing that could elevate their chances of returning to championship status.
Nearly 48 hours into free agency, seven of the Lakers’ rotation players from last season haven’t been signed: Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley.
Next season’s roster is more of a step in right direction. twitter.com/jovanbuha/stat…
As it stands, Russell Westbrook remaining on the roster is still a possibility. The Lakers have been reluctant to include draft picks to move his contract. LA may find it difficult to contend if they have to run it back with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook.
Multiple sources tell the @latimes that Russell Westbrook has never requested a trade from the Lakers.
Lack of spacing, usage rate, and not having an impact role player will hamper the LA Lakers' chances of competing against the rest of the Western Conference heavyweights.