Stephen A. says Lakers WON’T ADMIT THIS about LeBron James... 😬 | First Take

All right, to the NBA now.Since the Lakers were eliminated earlier this week, I have repeated several times on this show how he, the King, is now an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the noise surrounding his next move will continue to get louder, and has over the last several days, because it doesn't seem as easy as LeBron's just gonna stay put in L .A.Because, a story right now on ESPN .com, Dave McMenman details that there were moments this season where LeBron felt taken for granted by the Lakers, and pointed to one moment in late March when LeBron passed Kareem Abdul -Jabbar for the most wins in NBA history, and after the game, Rob Palenka gave the game ball to his head coach, J .J.

Redick, for notching his 100th win, not to LeBron, for the accomplishment that he achieved.

Let's watch that moment, watch this.

More importantly, LeBron James winning his player of all time in the regular season.

Now, it is worth noting that Dave said that that moment wasn't necessarily a deal breaker when it comes to LeBron remaining in L .A.There were other things that were brought up as well, but the overarching question now becomes, have the Lakers taken LeBron James for granted since he's been there in Los Angeles, Perk?

You're damn right they have.And just watching that moment made my damn skin crawl because Rob Pelinka has been a problem.And I get it, Rob Pelinka, you're trying to move on from LeBron James, Rich Paul, and the whole clutch moment.And I get it, your new face is Luka Doncic and the great Bill Duffy, who I love, you know, so that's who you're hearing and listening to.Rod Palenka is and always will be a Kobe Bryant guy.and so when you think about forget that moment in the locker room he should have gave the game ball to lebron james i feel lebron felt some type of way but let's talk about this roster that they put in place lebron james knows what a championship roster look like lebron james also this season came out after they finished playing the Oklahoma City Thunder and said that's the championship roster.

In the regular season, he said that.So he was shooting a slug at Rob Pelinka to tell you, hey man, you need to be on this roster and upgrade in certain areas.LeBron James wasn't happy when they signed DeAndre Aydin this offseason.Because we all know, listen, we thought that DeAndre Ayton, a lot of people thought that he was gonna change.But Stephen A., I'm gonna steal one of your lines.Dammit, if it walk like a duck, it quack like a duck, it damn sure ain't a giraffe, okay?

It damn sure ain't a giraffe.You used to say a mongoose, I'm gonna say a giraffe.I know, but I wanna put my flavor to it.I wanna put my flavor to it, you know what I mean?But what I'm telling you is, when you have a guy, a legend, an all -time great, in some people's eyes, in my eyes, a GOAT.You do everything and more, especially at the level that he's been playing at, you do everything and more to surround him and that team with the pieces to actually go out there and contend for a title.

So Rob Pelinka out of any other person, that's the person we need to be highlighting because he hasn't been doing his damn job when it comes to putting pieces around Luca and LeBron.Now he has a big decision to make and that decision is going to be who you going to pay the bag to this offseason.Is it going to beAustin Reeves or is it gonna be LeBron James?You know where I stand at.You better give that bag to LeBron James and put it out in front of him and let him come back and be that second option to Luka Doncic.

Perk, you know better.You know what this is about.Have the Lakers taken LeBron James for granted?Sure, you can make that argument.But let's put it where the Goats can get it, Big Perk.They don't particularly like him.

That's what this is about more so than anything else.They'll never admit that.You understand what I'm saying?I'm saying there's denials all over the place, just as I said that statement.Oh, my God.I know this.

Even they didn't just say that.Perk, I'm going to lean on you.who's been doing a great job covering the NBA all of these years.And obviously, you're incredibly connected.You know that Clutch, Forge, Ridge, Paul, and obviously, by extension, LeBron James has turned them off.When they made the trade for Russell Westbrook that ended up being disastrous, you understand, they felt like LeBron wasn't accepting accountability.

When there were narratives put out there that the organization was the issue and not LeBron James, they knew it wasn't them putting that stuff out there.You and I have talked about this.Most NBA analysts talked about this, because what have we lamented over the years?As great as he is, LeBron James is on the Mount Rushmore of basketball, one of the greatest players to have ever lived.He's also one of the greatest manipulator of narratives we've ever seen.Put Perk up on that screen, and I dare you to look at me and tell me I'm lying about that.

You know there's nobody, you know there's very few people on the planet Earth more skilled and more committed to controlling narratives than him.You've said it before, Perk.I've said it before.You know it.That's why you laughing.That's why Perk laughing.

Because he knows he said it because it's the absolute truth.I got proof.Even with Perk.I don't know if you know this, Shay.That man was on the McDonald's All -American team.with LeBron James in 2003, that dude was a former teammate of LeBron James.

That dude was a trusted confidant of LeBron James.And when he was remotely critical, LeBron James cut him off.You understand, with the Twitter account, blocked him or whatever it was.And Perk went on social media.What was your comment about Jesus?What was your comment about Jesus?

You said something about, you know, he said, I'll get over it.What did you say?Everybody everybody ain't follow Jesus Christ.That's right.

That's what he said in response to LeBron because why because Perk was making the point.We are out here covering the game of basketball and this brother is getting mad at me, meaning Perk, and he's somebody, he's somebody that I've known since childhood and you tripping over that.Perk was like, please, that you ain't worried about it.You know this, okay?Mad respect to somebody like a Rich Paul, who's done a great job with clutch sports and all.Ain't nobody here to cast any aspersions.

But we all know over the years, not recently, but over the years, how fixated they were on manipulating and dictating narratives.Well, the Lakers were on the brunt end of all of that.The Lakers had to deal with that.And so what I'm saying is this LeBron's greatness is not to be questioned.LeBron's commitment to excellence is not to be questioned.His contribution to the Lakers organization is not to be questioned.

And certainly they should have an elevated level of appreciation because they didn't choose LeBron James.They didn't win LeBron James.LeBron James chose the Lakers.He could have went anywhere, but he chose Lakers.I know they want to make it look differently because they're the Lakers franchise.And my goodness, you should feel privileged to come play for us just like the Cowboys didn't Jerry Jones feels about what you should come play for the Cowboys.

I understand that but in most instances, they're absolutely right.but not when it comes to LeBron James.He chose the Lakers.He wanted to go to the Lakers.He made it very very clear.That's what he was doing.

There was no sweepstakes that they competed for where they want him.He chose them, but it doesn't negate the fact that along the way.because he is who he is, and he's fixated on controlling narratives, that he didn't turn them off over the years.And when you see any kind of reluctance or tensions or pensiveness about them wanting to be, as a player, how could you not want LeBron James?Of course, as a team, you want LeBron James because he's too great to, but it doesn't mean he didn't get on their damn nerves along the way.And that's all this is about.

But that is a little bit of excuse me, but BS.Like do you remember what the Lakers were before LeBron James got there?They had the worst record in the league.If I remember correctly, they missed the playoffs like four or five years in a row.

Which is what LeBron James and his camp and Big Perk would tell you.And y 'all absolutely right.But once you're with, it's almost like, it's like, it's like being, let me go Ryan Clark route.Let me go around.It's like being in a relationship.You want each other bad when you're trying to get each other.

But once you got each other and you were together with one another, all of a sudden, you know, this person's getting on my damn nerves right now.

Now it's in the moment.

It might pass, but you do have those things.And that's all we're saying here.It's nothing catastrophic.It's just that LeBron has gotten on their damn nerves on a few occasions in a Lakers uniform over the last eight years.And I'm sure the Lakers have gotten on his damn nerves.That's all.

Well, I mean, it happens like that in the organization.Look, Rich Paul is my guy.I love Rich Paul.Me and him go back and forth at least once a week.We argue.Stephen A., I'm pretty sure

you and him go back and forth.

No, we haven't, we haven't.I ain't disagreeing with...We've only spoken once since the whole LeBron thing.We've only spoken once since that time.

Oh, oh, oh, okay, okay.

Rich Paul and I don't really, you know, don't really talk like that no more.

It's all right, still love.Okay, I didn't know.Okay, I didn't know.I didn't know.Okay, it's okay.But look, this is my point.

Here's my thing.LeBron, yes, I've shared a locker room with LeBron James, and he cares about winning.He won a roster around him, and he definitely applies pressure on front offices to make moves so that he could go out there to win the championship.But guess what, Stephen A?Everybody else around the league does it.Giannis does it.

Giannis just throws stones and hide his hand when he do it.Oh, I didn't know they was going to waive Damian Lillard.I didn't know this was happening.I didn't know they was going to trade Chris Middleton.Man, you lying and the truth ain't nowhere near.Right?

So when you talk about franchise players, and I had this argument with my brother, well, a debate with my brother, Richard Jefferson, it's not one guy.I done played with a lot of Hall of Famers.It's not one time a trade is being made whether it's in the offseason, regular season, a coach being fired, some type of adjustment in the front office without your franchise guy having his hands and fingerprints on it.It's just that LeBron is highlighted more because he's more involved and you can just tell when he's off a guy because all you have to do is look at his body language.And also, I'm going to tell you this.Another thing that doesn't help LeBron at all is that he's got his own podcast essay.

So he's always speaking.That's what hurts him.and a lot of people.I know I'm saying that's what hurts him and a lot of people eyes when it comes to the goat conversation.Oh, that's why I can't disagree with you when you say he loves to control the narrative, right?

He loves to control the narrative because he want everything that comes out of his mouth to be the gospel and by the way, let's not leave out the fact that you know, Anthony Davis is traded for Luka Donchage and He had absolutely no idea whatsoever that that was going down big perk.I mean, we, we, we can't forget that one.Can't forget that one.I mean, he was totally close.He was totally blindsided.He was totally caught off guard.

I mean, he had nothing to do with it.You understand what I'm saying?And I know, and I know, and I know Rich Paul is watching.I know Rich Paul is watching.Ladies and gentlemen, I'm playing around.You understand what I'm saying?

I changed my number.You understand?And he didn't have my number for a few months because that damn Rich Paul would text me all the time.But last time I checked rich Paul has access to everybody so if he wanted my number bad enough He could have gotten it.I know he's gonna try to sit up there say Stephen a that's a damn lie Stop that nonsense go do your podcast you understand see what the hell you gonna say at the end of the day you understand I ain't no big deal because I'm glad I ain't getting text every damn segment of every show with him trying to Trying to edit damn first take but the point is I haven't spoken to him in a while, but I got love for rich boy So it's alright calm the hell down.You know sit ahead of time.

I'm telling you that relax.I'm not getting on you You'd know.