Los Angeles Lakers: Interpreting David Griffin’s comments about LeBron

Interpreting David Griffin’s original, revised comments about Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers

Recent comments made by current Executive Vice President of basketball operations David Griffin in a Sports Illustrated article appeared to flummox the NBA community as he juxtaposed his travails as former Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager to his new role with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Controversy surrounded the perception that he was taking shots at LeBron James based on quotes which were made in the article. Understandably, James and his camp were upset that he was blindsided by an ally, alleging that he used the weight of his profile and contractual status to manipulate the organization and detract from its morale among other unflattering statements.

Contrarily, “The King’s” reputation well precedes him as someone who is just a kid from Akron. This then led Griffin to offer a clarification commentary on The Jump in which he referenced the media scrutiny that surrounded James as the true eye of the storm.

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Given the confusion which has ensued in the wake of Griffin’s original and revised comments, the following is an interpretation, written in the first person, which aims to decode the sentiment of his message much the same way that is done with the biblical scholars of the past.

"[via SI]“Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not fun. I was miserable,” Griffin said. “Literally the moment we won the championship, I knew I was gonna leave. There was no way I was gonna stay for any amount of money.”"

When I say “miserable”, what I really mean to convey is that I felt like I had collapsed into a state of Nirvana in which I momentarily over accounted for the journey in favor of the destination. Winning a championship was a priceless experience that I knew could never be regenerated no matter how much money the Cavaliers would have offered me to stay once my contract ended.

Furthermore, no factor played a larger role in securing that championship than the talent and leadership style of our anchor.  People may not know this but LeBron James maintains a very holistic approach in his leadership from the standpoint that he will impress upon me any holes that may be evident on the roster or coaching staff that may have escaped my awareness.

And, in the event that his voice is drowned out in favor of other teammates who may carry a larger profile, he is not afraid to use the media as his loudspeaker if need be.

"[via SI]“There wasn’t a lot else for him (after winning a championship with Cleveland),” Griffin said. “I don’t think he’s the same animal anymore about winning.”"

Men are often falsely accused of having a one-tracked mind. So, if we are speaking about “winning” in the same traditional sense that Charlie Sheen once did, then LeBron James is just not the same animal anymore about winning then let’s say most men are as they first become introduced to their hormones. But if we are talking about winning from the sphere of an athlete, then it’s probably fair to say he prioritizes it more so than he does oxygen.

When he referred to winning the 2016 title as the crowning achievement which established his ranking as the greatest player of all time, by no means was he suggesting that his career was a completed work and his hunger to win diminished subsequently.

Quite the contrary, as he has stated in the past, his greatest achievement is reserved for his performance in the 2011 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, which I personally believe brought new meaning to the word breathtaking and I’m sure several others would agree with me.

"[via SI]“LeBron is getting all the credit and none of the blame. And that’s not fun for people,” Griffin said of the challenge of working with and playing with James. “They don’t like being part of that world.”"

Let me say this: no one quite knows LeBron James and the media circus that surrounds him more so than ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst, who has shadowed his career since its inception. Windhorst wrote an article last year discussing the phenomena of an “organizational fatigue” that comes boasting a roster which features him. In a nutshell, it conveys the idea that very little continuity and security comes with managing James and, even though I may have been the anonymous source that was cited, I categorically and emphatically disagree with its inference.

When LeBron stated earlier this year that he would love to have Anthony Davis as a teammate on the Los Angeles Lakers in the midst of a media storm, he was speaking in a vacuum. Who wouldn’t want Anthony Davis?! I know all the young and impressionable teammates who were on the Lakers roster at the time and were ultimately traded for him would love to play with Davis.

So, just to set the record straight, I felt the need to come to LeBron’s defense in light of how my comments were taken out of context because, at the end of the day, he is the first guy to shoulder the blame when he knows it’s well deserved.

Except, is being infallible really a flaw?