LeBron James’ ‘Fake’ Persona Rubbing Russell Westbrook the Wrong Way Sends Fans Fuming – “LeFake, The GOAT AT Pretending”

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook did not have the best of times when the two played for the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James’ ‘Fake’ Persona Rubbing Russell Westbrook the Wrong Way Sends Fans Fuming – “LeFake, The GOAT AT Pretending”

Russell Westbrook and former teammate LeBron James (Image via FirstSportz)

LeBron James has played alongside several All-Stars and potential Hall of Famers. Most of his collaborations ended up being successful. The lone exception so far has been Russell Westbrook.

James and his then teammate, Anthony Davis, specifically asked the Los Angeles Lakers’ top brass to bring the triple-double king back to his hometown. That experiment became an epic failure. James and Davis’ injuries became a problem, and Westbrook could not alone drag them into a play in spot.

Even though they decided to continue the experiment into the next season, the writing was on the wall. The nine-time All-Star was coming off the bench, and soon, that frustration turned into a trade to the Utah Jazz.

Yaron Weitzman, in his book, A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers, detailed what went on behind the scenes, from which, The Ringer published an excerpt.

He revealed that Westbrook was not treated as an equal, especially with his stature and his contract. He understood it clearly when actor Will Smith visited the squad.

When GM Rob Pelinka announced that the Oscar winner was about to come in, LeBron James stood up and stormed out through a back door. Anthony Davis followed him immediately.

After a while, the King returned, and then proceeded to ask Smith question after question. It became clear that the four-time champion was faking his true feelings for the actor.

The book notes that Russell Westbrook sat in the third row in disbelief about how LeBron James was faking it. He went on to tell a fellow teammate that he ‘hated’ such fake characters.

It seems it rubbed the point guard the wrong way, which according to the book, was one of the reasons for his strained relationship with the superstar forward.

Fans lose it at LeBron James’ actions straining his relationship with Russell Westbrook

After this article came out, it quickly went viral. The problem is that basketball fans were aware of LeBron James’ attempts to fake it at times. However, there was no concrete evidence to label him as that.

The Lakers star could claim that he was doing the things as depicted, but the cameras caught him at an inopportune moment. Through this article, fans received confirmation that the father of three has made it a habit of faking it.

Fans believe him masking his true feelings for Will Smith, who had slapped Chris Rock six months ago at the Oscars, just to ensure he is not portrayed in a bad light, strained his relationship with Russell Westbrook.

The point guard was not feeling it throughout his time with the Lakers, and King James’ behavior was the reason for that debacle. Fans feel Westbrook was unnecessarily made a scapegoat, whereas it was a problem created by James. Check out their reactions below:

LeBron James recently claimed that he does not like how the entire world has resorted to ‘fake’ methods to gain popularity. Now that fans came across this article, they believe the 4-time league MVP is showing his hypocritical side.

LeBron James’ interest in a trade for Kyrie Irving soured his relationship with Russell Westbrook

After the first year of their experiment, there were concerns within the Los Angeles Lakers organization about Russell Westbrook’s fit on their roster. That experiment cost head coach Frank Vogel his job.

LeBron James and former Cavs teammate Kyrie Irving
LeBron James and former Cavs teammate Kyrie Irving (Image via NBA Central/X)

The book reveals that when Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving asked for a trade, it led to LeBron James‘ relationship with Westbrook hitting rock bottom.

The only way for the Lakers to acquire Irving would have been by dealing Westbrook. Westbrook knew this, and he knew that LeBron did as well. Meaning that no matter what LeBron said in public, the reality was clear: He was pushing for the Lakers to ship Westbrook out.

Yaron Weitzman wrote in his book

These trade rumors led the two Lakers teammates to avoid each other at the franchise’s Summer League games, indicating that their relationship was done before the season started.

Also Read: