Coming face-to-face to reporters on Friday, LeBron James spoke with intent as he shot down rumors of his displeasure with the Lakers.
Delivering an impassioned speech about how loyalty to the franchise, he explained why his words were taken out of context by the media.
“I don’t understand how my comments last weekend were taken to a whole different area of could I see myself retire as a Cavalier. I never said I see myself playing in a Cavaliers uniform. Talked to Jason Lloyd and he axed me and I said ‘Well, I don’t know what tomorrow holds but actually me playing for the Cavs I don’t know about that. Could I see myself retiring as a Cav?’ and he asked ‘Will you sign for a day and retire as a Cav?’ and I said ‘Well, that possible could be.’ And then things about my son, me wanting to play with my son wherever he’s at, me going there. You guys take some of my words and just twist them to different places where they shouldn’t go. If I comment or compliment a GM that’s in OKC, I really believe that he’s done a phenomenal job and you spin out to me saying that Rob [Pelinka] is not doing a great job.”
He also specifically called out NBA Insider Bill Oram, shockingly telling Lakers fans not to take him seriously in a way that had many guessing whether or not he was being serious.
“It’s weird,” James told a roomful of reporters, “that you guys — well not you guys, whoever started this whole thing… Bill doesn’t like the Lakers, anyway. It’s always going to be a negative. Anytime Bill says anything about the Lakers it’s going to be negative,” James repeated. “So, I hope no one in the Lakers faithful listens to Bill Oram. I hope not. He hasn’t said one great thing about the Lakers in so long.”
LeBron said he "doesn't care about draft picks, only winning championships, & so does Rob Pelinka that's why he traded for AD" pic.twitter.com/jNzauYVkti
— El Jefe (@klutchfamilia) February 26, 2022
Wars between the media and a star player have happened before. We saw it with Kyrie Irving not too long ago.
But for James, who usually avoids addressing rumor and gossip, calling out a reporter by name is an interesting action to take.
Regardless, LeBron has made his point clear now: he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. He plans to see it through to the very end.
