Amid the rubble of an All-Star weekend in which LeBron James publicly mentioned the prospect of a return to Cleveland and said he would play his final season alongside his son, Bronny — all of which reportedly came as a surprise to the Lakers — it looks more and more like things are heading south between the two sides.
The vibe between James and the Lakers is comparable to “the early days of war,” one source told The Athletic.
James and Rich Paul are reportedly putting pressure on the organization, with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka wanting to avoid engaging. Clearly, James wanted Pelinka to make a trade at the deadline, which he did not do.
And with the team struggling, sitting ninth in the Western Conference at 27-31, listening to James seems a questionable decision. He was, after all, the driving force behind the acquisition of Russell Westbrook, a move that has spectacularly failed for the Lakers this season.
The tension between LeBron James…