LeBron James made many sacrifices during his season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but one particular moment reportedly left the four-time champion feeling overlooked by the team.
For the first time in his NBA career, James enters a season with an expiring contract. He also missed the opening game and the first 14 games of the season due to injury, which was also the first time for a Lakers superstar.
James’ frustration reached a boiling point after the regular-season win, which also marked a historic milestone in his career.
“The win was James’ 1,229th of his career, moving him past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the winningest player in NBA history (regular season and postseason combined),” McMenamin wrote for ESPN. “Not to mention, Luka Doncic has scored over 15,000 points in his career and Rui Hachimura has scored 5,000 points.
“James’ celebratory mood was short-lived, though.
Lakers head coach Redick announced all his personal achievements in the locker room after the game, drawing rounds of applause from Lakers players and assistant coaches.
“Then Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka addressed the team. He had the game ball in his hand.
“Instead of handing the ball to Hachimura, Doncic or James, Pelinka walked to the front of the room and handed the ball to Redick, who had just officiated his 100th coaching victory.
Sources close to James say James’ relationship with Redick is “very good,” with one source telling ESPN that hiring Redick is “the one thing the Lakers did right.”
After the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs, James was still unsure of what would happen next.
“As for my future, I don’t know. Obviously, we haven’t recovered from the loss. I don’t know what the future holds for me tonight,” James said. “I think I said it after the loss to Minnesota last year, I’ve got to go back and reset with my family, talk to them, spend some time with them, and when the time comes, you’ll know what I decide to do.”
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