Truth About Lebron James & Luka Doncic’s Rift Revealed Amid Bronny James’ Confession About Father’s Mindset

“LeBron does not like playing with Luka, Reaves does not like playing with Luka. Reaves does not like getting the ball with two seconds left on the shot clock … The Lakers are going to turn their attention to build around Luka. Not LeBron, so this is Luka’s team now,” said John Gambadoro in a recent segment of Arizona Sports’ ‘Burns & Gambo’ show. This recent update provided a shock to many Lakers fans, especially given how the trio of Luka, LeBron, and Austin delivered so efficiently during the regular season. The rift with LeBron James was expected, given the 40-year-old’s recent demands clashing with what the Lakers’ front office had planned for the Slovenian. However, did Austin Reaves hate the low possessions he got so much that he began disliking Doncic? Apparently not, as recent updates have shown us that neither player holds a resentment towards their new teammate.

Lakers insider Anthony F. Irwin recently took to X to put out a tweet for his 32,800 followers and all other NBA fans out there. He revealed, “Fwiw, just spoke to multiple people close to the Lakers and around the league who vehemently deny the report out there that LeBron and Austin hate playing with Luka. No one is echoing any of that.” Well, that would certainly reassure several Lakers fans out there. After all, with the team already facing several issues, the last thing it needed was for an internal rift between the Lakers’ future star and the NBA All-Time Scorer, with Reaves aligning with LeBron.

The reason the initial report by John Gambadoro would have come as a surprise was that no fan would have sensed that things were bad amongst the trio while the regular season was still going on. After all, together, they led the team to a 50-32 win record at the end of the regular season. Around 2 months after Luka Doncic was acquired, LeBron James had grown fond of the bond he had on the court with both the Slovenian and Austin Reaves. In his own words, “I think the reason I’m able to thrive with both Luka and Austin is because of the way we complement each other. With Luka, his vision and his ability to make the game easier for others is something I’ve always appreciated”.

Even Austin Reaves had nothing but praise to hand out for the Slovenian. It was only a few weeks ago when Reaves, during an exclusive interview by Trevor Lane, discussed his partnership with Doncic and revealed that, “I think it brings so much chaos offensively because you got two guys, you know obviously I’m not putting myself in Luka’s category because he’s top three player in the NBA. But it brings two guys in the 1-2 spot, then obviously you have Bron too, that are willing passers, that can create chaos on defense. So, therefore, I think it’s gonna be tough for teams to stay in front of us, I feel like we can get good looks every possession.” The 27-year-old also claimed that, after the trade, the Lakers had a “top five defense”.

John Gambadoro’s claims might not have been accepted well. That is, had it not been for the recent issues between the Lakers and LeBron James. After the NBA All-Time Scorer opted into his $52.6 million player option, his agent, Rich Paul, released a shocking statement highlighting that LeBron would change teams unless he believes he can win a championship with the Lakers. Since the 40-year-old does not have much time remaining on the NBA court as a player, he wants to make the most of it.

Unfortunately, according to ‘The Athletic’, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office are currently seeking long-term players to build around Luka Doncic, which does not align with LeBron’s desires. That, added with the fact that Austin Reaves had declined a max $89.2 million contract extension, made it easy to believe that an internal rift was brewing within the Lakers. Nevertheless, things seem to be fine with the trio. For now. It might not be for long, as opinions are being created on LeBron’s demands. Whatever happens, at least one person claims not to be bothered about it.

Bronny James reveals not focusing on LeBron James’ rumors: “don’t really pay attention to that stuff”

For the last few decades, the status of the Los Angeles Lakers has been elevated thanks to a few key players leading as the face of the team. The 80s had Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the 2000s had Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, and the 2020s had LeBron James and Anthony Davis. With Luka Dončić being acquired back in February in exchange for Anthony Davis, and LeBron James approaching a potential retirement in the coming years, it became obvious who the next face was going to be. LeBron knows the future is Luka, but still wants the current roster to change according to his standards so that he can retire with one or maybe two championship titles. This has created rumors about LeBron’s potential exit, which, if you ask Bronny, he doesn’t care about.

‘The Athletic’s Dan Woike recently covered the 20-year-old’s remarks during a recent presser. During the same, when asked about the rumors revolving around his father, Bronny said, “Actually, one of my friends called me talking about where (and) what I was gonna do ’cause they seen my dad, whatever,” Bronny said Wednesday. “I didn’t see it. (My friend) called me. I was like, ‘Yeah, I have no idea what you’re talking about.’… I don’t really pay attention to that stuff.” Bronny might be more interested than he revealed.

After all, being on the same team, whether his father stays or not, impacts his future too. Both of their future depends on what decisions the Lakers choose to take in the coming days. Unfortunately, if LeBron is aware of the changes and what it means for them, he isn’t looking to reveal too much about the same.

“We don’t really talk about it much,” said Bronny. “But I think when stuff like that does come up, he just tells me to not worry about it, not even pay attention to it. Just lock into what you have going on right now. And that’s what’s gonna get me better and to keep me focused. I think it’s good that (he) tells me to not pay attention to that stuff.”

Well, similarly to Bronny, all we can do now is speculate what will happen next. Both in terms of a rift and LeBron’s potential future.