First Take | Kenny Smith Fires Back: “The Lakers Always Respected LeBron James!”

LeBron James eight years in L.A. where he felt like he was being taken for granted by the Lakers. But Veneman also detailed in the piece that a source familiar with James thinking told ESPN that the Lakers approach and how they showed their interest in retaining him will be a factor in his decision to return to Los Angeles or not. So Jay, will I ask you have the Lakers taken LeBron for granted. Hi Kenny. I say I'm really curious to get your opinion on this because look at the clip that's gone viral around J.J. Redick and you know 100 game ball. It's like fascinating right. It's like okay like is that intentional. Maybe. Maybe. I mean for a guy that is the all-time winningest player in the history of the NBA doesn't get the game ball. But I think it's one of these under that it's like an underrepresented problem I think that sometimes happens within the league. Kenny I'm so fascinated to hear your perspective on this one too. I think a lot of times the public or people think that these problems are only driven because of the egos of the athlete. And a lot of times when I had a great conversation with P.J. Tucker the other day and a lot of stuff he says I'm not going to utilize names because it's his story to tell. But and I've seen his accounts too. A lot of times within organizations you do have favoritism. You do have moments where the organization doesn't know how to really control the pecking order or handle a lot of the noise being made around the players. Whether it's team seats. Whether it's LeBron James cookies. Whether it's the Jalen Brown Jason Tatum situation where it's like hey the crowd may love it or the coach may say this is Jason's team. Things happen throughout the course of the season and what I would call it is a death by a thousand cuts. There's so many things like Kenny you're one of the most aware dudes on the planet especially within the team. So there may have been teams where you may have to bow down because you recognize where the pecking order exists. But if you feel like you're on the same level with somebody you come in and you see those thousand cuts small cuts by the organization because you think you're as equal to your counterpart and not beneath. A lot of times that creates more distance and more controversy and more chaos and to me like this is an example of that. I'm not saying you need to cater to every one of LeBron James's needs. I'm not saying that at all. But a lot of times we always put the onus on the player and a lot of times it is on the organization as well to manage the egos and how they communicate that because it does add up. Well I've been blessed to play with two of the greatest players that I ever I feel have ever played in the game and that in college I played with Michael Jordan and in the NBA with Akeem Olajuwon and never ever in their tenures that I've played with them I heard the word my team or taken for granted because the things that they worried about were not cookies. It just wasn't cookies or seats on the plane or seats in the stands and where they go. So if you ask me did the Lakers take it for granted I would say no because when they when they he wanted Anthony Davis to be there that somebody who could help him win a championship they went out and figured out a way to get him. When they needed to make another trade and they brought Luka Dantic into the fold they did it. When they needed Rui a guy who could be at the small fold and when they needed to draft your son they did it. So there's those are the things that make you take it for granted or not. Are you doing things to help me win championships and so I would say you know Robert Laker you know he gets a lot of flack. However he's made moves to always keep the team relevant because if Luka doesn't get hurt this year they're possibly a team that could have contended for the Western Conference Finals. But that's how the guys I know who are the best players a generational player that's how they look at the game and they put that in time that the team never we never talked about parking passes we never talked about seating we talk about who are you bringing here to make this job easy brother that's it. Okay let's let's take this conversation deeper. Let's throw out the words take it for granted and instead let's incorporate the word respect and appreciation. There's a battle that's going on here if the reports are to be believed and we have no reason to believe otherwise because Dave McManaman does a great job covering the team and obviously he's somebody that LeBron James has confided in. So LeBron James felt like you know the scoring record or you know the wins rather and you know instead of him being acknowledged Rob Palenka acknowledges J.J. Redick. Fair enough. Forget Rob Palenka. He doesn't really matter that much in this equation. Who matters is Jeannie Buss. Who matters are the Los Angeles Lakers. On one hand you're LeBron James that came to the Lakers when they were losing games when Colby has stepped away from the game when they clearly didn't have winning in their sights or what have you and you go and you bless that franchise with your presence. That's something to be appreciated one would think by the Los Angeles Lakers if you are LeBron James. If you're the Los Angeles Lakers you're a franchise that had 16 championships at that time. He would ultimately deliver you a 17 with the championship in the bubble but you have a history of having stars represent your franchise and those stars never complain about your franchise because if the Lakers pride themselves on one thing is that they know how to treat their stars. They know how to make stars feel special and so because of that what they would say is if there is a problem emanating from LeBron James and his camp how could that possibly be on us when no other star ever complained about being a part of our franchise in terms of anything that we would elect to do or anything that we have done because we take care of our stars. LeBron James on the other hand obviously feels a little bit differently and so when you have a situation where it involves respect not taken for granted I would tell you Kenny you know this Jay you know this taking for granted all that stuff throw that out the window but you better not make you better not have Akeem Olajuwon feeling disrespected. You better not have Michael Jordan feeling disrespected. Remember when he felt disrespected by Jerry Krause? Remember what that was like for Jerry Krause after that? You understand what I'm saying? Because Michael Jordan didn't publicize anything but it was clear he ain't having that and Akeem the Dream Olajuwon. Have you met that man? Have you talked to that man ladies and gentlemen? Chances are you don't have to because let me tell you something he is a walking embodiment of a man who requires respect. He is a kind gentle man but do not do not think for one second that you can disrespect that man and get away with it. So we have those things going on where if you're LeBron James what's your definition of disrespect? If you're his if you're his camp what's your definition of disrespect? You listen to some folks talk about it they'll tell you that LeBron is committed to excellence whereas the Lakers were willing to accept mediocrity and that's not something that he was going to stand pat for. Obviously the Lakers would refute such a notion they would say there's no way in hell there's any truth to that. So you're not on the same page not to mention the fact he's in his 40s and on his way out and Luka's in his 20s and hasn't even hit his prime yet.