Getty Image
There appears to be a rift between LeBron James and younger players in the league.
On Wednesday night it was reported that a frustrated LeBron abruptly stormed off during a pivotal meeting between players to see if they wanted to continue the season after the Milwaukee Bucks had gone on strike to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Via Yahoo Sports
LeBron James was one of the many players miffed with the Bucks’ handling of the situation as well, sources said. To him and so many others, it put them in a no-win situation.
His frustration with Hill and the Bucks was because the players didn’t have a plan of action that would warrant players returning to play, sources said. James’ mindset, sources said, was if they’re refusing to play, then what’s the end game and what demands must be met to continue?
With emotions all over the place, Haslem pressed James and asked the star what he planned to do, reminding him that he’s the face of the league and it goes as he goes, sources said.
James then said, “We’re out,” and walked out with almost all of his teammates following behind, sources said, with Dwight Howard being the only Laker who remained.
We’re getting a little bit more insight into how players are feeling about LeBron’s actions at the meeting and it’s not looking good for the “king”.
According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith., players and owners were turned off by the way LeBron spoke to them which he described as “out of pocket.”
I heard he was speaking out of pocket and was talking to the players in a fashion that really turned some of these young cats off. This is a new generation…The younger generation of players were not having what they were hearing from LeBron James because the fashion in which he spoke to them.
When he stormed out of there it was in fact because of that. And he sort of came off like, I got mine and I don’t need this and walked out.
Many players took issue with LeBron saying that he was looking after other players who were “beneath” him during a meeting with owners.
LeBron James when everybody thought the meeting was over, LeBron James grabs the mic and from what I’m told talks for about fifteen minutes and he’s talking for about fifteen minutes in a fashion that turned everybody off because they had already agreed to what they were going to do moving forward and was talking about I have to look out for the guys beneath me to the point where you have people saying, what the hell you mean? Beneath you? They didn’t say that to him but they certainly said it to people like myself, Woj and others, who were covering that meeting. He came across as if he were the King with some crown
https://twitter.com/thenbacentral/status/1299404732897939456?s=21
Not a good look for LeBron if any of this is true.