There are marriages that survive because of love. There are marriages that survive because of shared history. And then there are marriages that survive because both sides are too stubborn or afraid to walk away from each other.
And right now, the relationship between the Lakers and LeBron James is the latter.
That’s why the report that came out Wednesday from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin about LeBron feeling “unappreciated” after the Lakers’ March 31 win over the Cavaliers landed with so much force around the league.
Not because it was shocking, but because it wasn’t.
The greatest player in Lakers history since Kobe Bryant doesn’t just storm out of the locker room with ice bags wrapped around his knees and slides on his feet randomly — especially not because he didn’t get a game ball.
That kind of resentment and animosity builds slowly, layer by later, over years of passive-aggressive messaging and emotional distance.
And if we’re being honest, both sides are to blame for this mess.
Let’s start with the obvious: The Lakers absolutely should have honored LeBron that night.
Surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most combined (regular season and playoffs) wins in NBA history is not some throwaway stat. It is one of the defining accomplishments in league history. On par with LeBron passing Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s all-time scoring record. It deserved its own moment, acknowledgment and celebration.
Lakers coach JJ Redick even said as much in his postgame speech to his team that night. After listing all the accomplishments, he finished by saying:
“More importantly, LeBron James, the winningest player of all time in the regular season and playoffs.”
What happened next is what caused the ruckus, and what makes it even more ridiculous in hindsight is that the whole thing could have been avoided.
Rob Pelinka interrupted the celebration to honor Redick’s 100th win as a head coach and even had a video of his two sons congratulating him. He then presented Redick with a game ball.
But why on earth did Pelinka not have more than one game ball ready?
NBA teams prepare three game balls before every game. Just like an NFL head coach hands out multiple game balls after the game, Pelinka easily could have secured all three to hand out to Redick, LeBron and Luka Doncic, respectively.
Instead, the Lakers somehow turned a night that should have celebrated organizational greatness into another chapter of awkward family tension. And LeBron had every right to feel slighted.
If we’re ranking the accomplishments that occurred that night in order of historical significance, it would look like this:
LeBron’s accomplishment was the greatest based on the history of the NBA. Period. And Pelinka should have done more to recognize it.
But LeBron needs to own something about himself, too. Because his reaction also exposed something contradictory to his words.
LeBron consistently says he “doesn’t care” about what people think about him. He claims to ignore articles, podcasts and criticism. He says he’s “too busy watching golf videos on YouTube” to worry about his public perception. He says winning and his teammates are the only things that matter to him.
Except his actions have not always backed up his words.
You don’t storm out of a locker room over feeling underappreciated if appreciation doesn’t matter deeply to you. And there’s nothing wrong with owning that. In fact, it makes you more human.
Of course, LeBron wants to be appreciated. Of course, he wants reverence. He’s spent 23 seasons carrying the weight of the sport on his shoulders. Players like LeBron don’t just want championships. They want legacy. They want validation. They want history to stop for a second and recognize the enormity of what they’ve done. Especially when it comes with three decades’ worth of sacrifice, dedication and hard work.
That’s why all this talk about him retiring and disappearing feels unrealistic.
LeBron might not want a yearlong farewell tour filled with rocking chairs and framed jerseys. But he absolutely wants to feel appreciated and honored by the game of basketball before he leaves it forever. This only confirms that.
And at the same time, the Lakers have every right to feel frustrated. They gave LeBron everything he wanted. They won a championship together in 2020. They traded for Russell Westbrook when he asked. They drafted his son, Bronny. They empowered his voice for nearly a decade.
And yet, since Doncic arrived, the relationship has clearly shifted.
Luka is the future now. Everybody knows it. That’s what makes this relationship so emotionally volatile. Aging superstars rarely handle succession gracefully — hell, there was an entire television series about it.
The Lakers have spent the last year slowly transitioning their team from LeBron to Doncic. And it’s that tension that bleeds into everything. Which is why this offseason cannot be handled through leaks to the media, anonymous quotes and more passive-aggressive behavior.
These two sides need to sit down and have a brutally honest conversation.
If LeBron feels unappreciated, he needs to say it directly. If the Lakers believe LeBron doesn’t show enough gratitude for what they’ve done for him, they need to stay that, too. Air all of it out.
Because LeBron is about to discover in free agency that there may not be a better basketball situation for him, both on the court and off, than staying in LA, playing alongside Luka and sharing a locker room with his son.
And the Lakers need to recognize that players like LeBron do not grow on trees. You don’t nickel-and-dime emotional acknowledgment with someone who delivered you a championship, restored relevance and helped bridge the franchise from the Kobe era into the Luka era.
If both parties actually want this marriage to continue, both sides need to evolve and grow.
The Lakers need to appreciate LeBron more and show it.
LeBron needs to show more gratitude toward the Lakers.
Otherwise, this relationship isn’t heading toward reconciliation.
It’s heading toward a loud, ugly and very public divorce.
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, XCalifornia Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!California Post App: Download here!Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
