LeBron James can’t seem to catch a break lately. Ever since that 2020 title run in the bubble, the Lakers just haven’t found their groove — and fans are starting to wonder if he’s got another championship left in him.
When the team brought in Russell Westbrook, it was supposed to be the big fix. Instead, from 2021 through 2023, the whole thing fell flat. The chemistry wasn’t there, and the experiment just blew up on them.
Former NBA center Enes Freedom thinks Russ took the fall for it — and he didn’t hold back when talking about LeBron’s part in it.
“It all started with the Lakers,” Freedom said. “Look at his career. As soon as he went to the Lakers. I don’t want to blame anyone. I don’t want to blame LeBron or whatever. But it’s hard to play for the Lakers.”
He added,
“If you play with someone like LeBron, it’s all about LeBron. If the season fails, then you need some kind of scapegoat. That year, they picked Russ as a scapegoat.”
After things soured in L.A., Westbrook was moved to the Clippers midway through the 2022–23 season, taking on a sixth-man role next to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Later, he had a short run with the Denver Nuggets, backing up Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. They made it to the second round before falling to the OKC Thunder — who went on to win it all.
Now, as the 2025–26 season tips off, Westbrook still hasn’t landed a new deal.
“The dictator of the NBA”: Enes Freedom rips LeBron James again
Freedom has never been shy about calling out LeBron, and his latest take might be his boldest yet.
“When I see a dictator, I know it – LeBron is literally like the dictator of the NBA,” he said. “He controls the media, he controls his narrative, if you go against his agenda, you get traded, everybody knows it.”
The timing of his comments raised eyebrows since it came right after the Lakers drafted Bronny James with the 55th pick in 2024 — something that added more fuel to talk about LeBron’s influence around the league.
As he gears up for his 23rd season, LeBron’s still in charge of the show in L.A., this time teaming up with Luka Doncic. Another year, another storyline — and you know everyone’s watching.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
