“No matter how he tries to spin it now, you’d best believe he is” - Bill Oram believes LeBron James is rightfully peeved at the LA Lakers
LeBron James' comments during the 2022 NBA All-Star weekend caused a stir around the NBA community. Reactions have been flying around as several pundits have tried to interpret his cryptic statements to the best of their ability.
Much of what LeBron said was interpreted as him not being committed to the Lakers. Controversial TV personality Skip Bayless has called him childish. Talks of a trade have even been brought up, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes the Lakers should go all out and start rebuilding.
LeBron finally got the opportunity to say his piece about the rumors after the clash against the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. The 18-time All-Star further expressed his desire to play with his son Bronny before he retires but maintained that he is committed to the team.
However, The Athletic reporter Bill Oram still believes the 37-year-old is playing mind games. He still believes LeBron, as intelligent as he is, had an underlying meaning. Oram went ahead to point out that he understands why LeBron could be frustrated.
"The white-knuckling was perhaps inevitable after James, at 37, has consistently played at an MVP level and gotten inconsistent and insufficient help from his chosen cast of supporting actors."
"He should be peeved."
"And no matter how he tries to spin it now, you’d best believe he is."
"He certainly was cranky in the buildup to the trade deadline and even more so in the aftermath of Rob Pelinka failing to make a move to improve the roster around him."
The primary cause of this reported feud is the unwillingness of Lakers GM Rob Pelinka to make some changes during the trade deadline. The Lakers roster has not been able to get the job done, and LeBron James' hopes for a new acquisition have not been fulfilled.
LeBron James and the LA Lakers have a 0-3 record against the LA Clippers this season
It was another disappointing loss for the Lakers as they dropped five games behind .500. They faced off against the Clippers in their first game after the All-Star weekend but failed to get the win.
Clippers have now won their last SIX GAMES IN A ROW against the Lakers 😨 https://t.co/Q3G0TO2QPZ
It was an erratic end to the game, as a controversial call was made which tipped the game in favor of the Lakers. Although the team expressed their displeasure with officiating, the result did not change, resulting in the Lakers losing their third game against the Clippers this season.
The final 25 seconds of Clippers-Lakers took roughly 19 minutes. Reviews began around 12:31 ET and the game ended around 12:50 ET.
LeBron registered a game-high 21 points but was very inefficient from the field. He shot 33.3% from the field and also had a game-high six turnovers.