On paper, being teammates with LeBron James might seem like an amazing experience, but it may not be all that it's cracked up to be. According to Danny Green, who played with James during the 2020 title run, there's an added bit of pressure that comes with being his teammate and living up to his exceptional standards.
“LeBron, he draws so much attention. His IQ is too. Even if the coach is like ‘I want Danny to cut here,’ he’ll be like ‘Yeah, but I like him over here better, this is where his spots are.’ He knows everybody, what they can do, where their best spots are, ‘He shoots 48% from here, this is his wing’ or ‘this is his corner.’ He wants you where you’re at, where you’re best at and he’s gonna find you there too. He knows they’re gonna double him and if they don’t, he’s gonna kill. He made the game very easy," said Green on 'All the Smoke' podcast. "But also there are times where it’s not as easy because there’s so much pressure, even if you’re wide open, to execute the play because you’re playing with LeBron James. And that’s more so on the outside than it is on the inside because Bron ain’t putting the pressure on you. But all the LeBron fans are like ‘Who is this bum? Why is he playing with Bron? He can’t make a damn shot.’ It’s a gift and a curse, but he made the game easy, and it was a lot of fun learning from him early on. A lot of fun playing against him. And then, even better, playing with him, and then, it was the bubble, but winning a championship with him. It was great. I couldn’t ask for a better scenario.”
Green was part of the Lakers' rotation that won the Finals in 2020, so he knows firsthand what it's like to play with the King. On the court, his skills make life easy for his teammates, who thrive off his advanced passing skills and superior court vision. He can remember entire playbooks and sees the court several steps ahead of everyone else.
With these skills and his exceptional leadership, LeBron has had a way of enhancing his teammates and bringing out the most in anyone he shares the court with. His success, however, also adds pressure on them to perform in critical situations, or risk getting flamed by his most loyal fans.
For fans of both the Lakers and LeBron James, failure is just not an option, and they will never be shy about blaming anyone they deem worthy. Just about anyone who disrupts the flow of the team, or doesn't fit in, is almost immediately pinned as the scapegoat when things go wrong, just like we saw with Russell Westbrook during his final days as a Laker.
As a 4x champion, 4x MVP, and 21x All-Star, LeBron's resume speaks for itself, and he's used to delivering excellence consistently. Even at 40 years old, very few players in the league can match his effort regularly, and it puts pressure on his teammates to raise their own game. Not everyone can answer the call, but those who do end up being some of LeBron's favorite and most successful teammates.
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