LeBron James and his sports agency Klutch Sports are to blame for the disastrous acquisition of point Russell Westbrook, according to Lakers insiders who leaked the information to CBS Sports and Bleacher Report.
Klutch Sports’ founder, Rich Paul, who represents James and often injured superstar Anthony Davis (and not coincidentally Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets), is said to have exerted inordinate influence and pressure on the Lakers to acquire Westbrook from the Washington Wizards instead of going after renowned mid-range sharpshooter DeMar DeRozen, the publication reports.
“But James certainly has a strong influence on the Lakers’ decision-making,” wrote Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. “Multiple sources indicate the team’s front office is internally blaming pressure from Klutch Sports Group (representing both James and Davis) for Westbrook.”
Westbrook was just the beginning of the Lakers’ importation of a number of aging marquee names who had seen their best days years ago. These athletes played little or no defense, could not make shots consistently or were often injured, including former superstar Carmelo Anthony. The badly constructed Lakers were a car wreck before they even got out the gate.
The Lakers failed to win a single preseason game, the first indication that they were in trouble. The franchise finished the 2021-22 season with a 33-49 record and failed to reach the postseason, subjecting them to widespread ridicule from traditional and social media alike.
For his part, Westbrook ended the season averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from beyond the arc. Respectable numbers if you are observing it from the outside. But Westbrook shot the ball from the field so horribly that he earned the derisive nickname “Westbrick,” and will probably be traded in the off-season.
Despite abdicating responsibility for the debacle of a season, the Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis will most likely hold onto their jobs.
