LeBron James usually wields a lot of power wherever he goes and that apparently remains the same with the Lakers.
After joining the Lakers, he seemingly quickly took a stronghold of the organization. According to the bombshell report by Bill Oram of The Athletic, LeBron is believed to have more power in the organization than Kobe did at the height of his powers.
“But for as important as Bryant was to the Lakers, sources inside the organization have long said that not even the legendary Black Mamba wielded as much power within the organization as James now has,” wrote Bill Oram of The Athletic.
“Bryant was never able to strong-arm the Lakers to make a move like the one James helped orchestrate for [Russell] Westbrook, which has proven to be an outright disaster.”
Bryant played all 20 of his NBA seasons with the Lakers and left a huge mark on the organization. LeBron is currently in his fourth season with the team.
James and his agent Rich Paul were driving forces behind the Lakers acquiring Anthony Davis.
LeBron is reportedly still upset the Lakers were idle at the trade deadline, failing to improve a squad that sits 27-31 after the All-Star break.
“The situation is tense enough that one source close to the Lakers likened it to the early days of a war,” Oram reported.
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James remains under contract through the 2022-23 season, but the divide could be enough for a split this offseason.
During his time with the Lakers, the 37-year-old has averaged 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from beyond the arc.
