While LeBron James returned to the court for the Los Angeles Lakers’120-102 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, it appears there are plenty of issues under the surface in Los Angeles.
After breaking the NBA’s scoring record, in a moment that saw Anthony Davis not celebrating with his teammates, James missed three games with an ankle injury. Initially believed to be a minor issue, additional reporting made it clear the NBA’s all-time scorer was dealing with a more severe injury than widely believed.
Appearing on NBA insider Marc Stein’s podcast “#thisleague UNCUT“, Chris Haynes disclosed that James was ‘severely struggling’ to play through his foot injury during his pursuit of the career scoring title. It’s expected to impact him for the remainder of the season and the report was followed by additional reporting regarding how coach Darvin Ham handled James’ minutes.
On Thursday, Colin Cowherd on The Herd references recent reporting by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin on Brian Windhorst’s podcast. The Lakers’ reporter said there were people displeased about Ham’s usage of James as of late, believing Ham played the NBA star too much through a worsening injury.
Cowherd spoke about the buzz coming from Los Angeles regarding the relationship between James and Davis, with the two Lakers’ stars reportedly at odds with frustration that has been building for years in Los Angeles.
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“This is something we’ve talked about on this show a lot. LeBron wanted to, after the championship in the bubble, hand the franchise to Anthony Davis. He came in out of shape. It ticked off LeBron James and he should’ve been ticked off.”
Colin Cowherd on LeBron James’ initial frustration with Anthony Davis
Things have seemingly gotten worse in the years since. Entering Thursday, the Lakers currently sit 23rd in the NBA standings. If they fail to reach the postseason, it will be the second consecutive year without a postseason appearance and the third year without a playoff series victory.
- LeBron James stats (2022-’23): 30 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 7 APG
Brought in to be a co-star alongside James, Davis hasn’t quite met expectations. The 29-year-old is averaging 26 points and 12.3 rebounds per game this season, but a lack of consistency is the issue. Since returning from an injury, Davis is averaging just 22.5 points per game with an average 0.7 plus/minus in his last 10 games.
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With the All-Star big man not playing at an elite level night-to-night and dealing with recurring injury problems, that’s only put more pressure on a 38-year-old James to perform. Already experiencing significant pain in his foot, all of it is fueling a growing belief that he isn’t happy with Davis or Ham.
“LeBron, his people, upset he played too many minutes. Translation, three messages, LeBron not happy. Who is he not happy at? Darvin Ham, probably, for not holding AD accountable. Because simultaneously during these messages, AD’s been awful…LeBron and his camp have been frustrated by how many minutes he has to play, they can’t depend on Anthony Davis, they’re a little upset that Darvin Ham isn’t keeping the pressure on Anthony Davis…Anthony Davis is pouting, LeBron is holding him accountable, LeBron’s not happy with him.”
The Herd’s Colin Cowherd on LeBron James’ feelings toward Anthony Davis, Darvin Ham
While Los Angeles came out of the NBA trade deadline as one of the winners, it’s evident issues remain with the franchise. Considering James isn’t committed to the Lakers long-term and there is a growing belief Davis can’t become the new face of the franchise, Los Angeles could undergo massive changes within the next year.
