This is an egregious accusation.
Longtime NBA center Enes Freedom, an 11-year NBA pro who suited up for the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics from 2011-22, had some harsh words for the NBA's oldest active player, 20-time All-NBA Los Angeles Lakers combo forward LeBron James.the 6-foot-10 big man blamed the Lakers' lack of free agent recruitment this offseason on James' presence, specifically.
“No other player wants to go play with LeBron,” Freedom opined. “You had so many other free agents… No one wanted to go play with him, because they know that it’s all about LeBron. They’re gonna get zero clout… When the Lakers’ season fails, LeBron tries to find a player to blame, and he blamed the whole season on Russell Westbrook, so he is not a good teammate.
This is a bit unfair — Westbrook, who can't defend or shoot and needs the ball in his hands to be his most effective, was a horrific fit on a Lakers team that was also fielding a near-geriatric roster without much defense or shooting, a recipe for disaster in a league where those attributes are musts. On his next team, the L.A. Clippers, he was a frisky regular-season role player whose weaknesses became glaring in the playoffs.
“When I see a dictator, I know it – LeBron is literally like the dictator of the NBA," Freedom said. "He controls the media. He controls his narrative. If you go against his agenda, you get traded. Everybody knows it.” James wants to win, but only if the price is right. The four-time league MVP agreed to a lucrative new two-year deal to stay with the Lakers this summer. Los Angeles is no doubt hoping to bring aboard a solid vet via its $5.2 million taxpayer mid-level exception, but at present it has struggled to do so.
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