When New York Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier criticized LeBron James on Sunday when James chose to sit away from Los Angeles’ huddle.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been nothing short of a complete disaster this season. As the team leader, LeBron James bears responsibility for the disappointing season.
New York Knicks legend and broadcaster Walt “Clyde” Frazier didn’t hold back when criticizing James for his actions during a timeout on Sunday. James sat by himself at the end of the bench rather than joining the huddle.
Clyde Frazier criticizes LeBron for not being “part of the team” and says “he doesn’t really care” ? pic.twitter.com/cHGumjnI8L
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 17, 2019
“This type of behavior is not—when you’re the face of the NBA, I think you should be more a part of your team, folks,” Frazier said on MSG’s broadcast of the game. “No matter what is going on, in the public you’ve got to be a part of the team. Maybe in the locker room you’re not, but you have to exude that type of togetherness in public, folks. And right now we see he doesn’t really care. So that’s why [Luke Walton] is rumored that this is his last season as the Lakers coach.”
As one would expect, there are tons of people pushing back on Clyde’s interpretation of this event. Some feel it is ridiculous to criticize James for his leadership based on his track record.
But Clyde wasn’t questioning James’ track record, he was simply discussing this specific situation. There’s no denying that this is a bad look for James. He’s at the center of a team that crumbled down the stretch and he needs to understand that the optics of the situation look bad.
The Lakers are banking on attracting another superstar via free agency or acquiring someone like Anthony Davis in a trade. Does this make the Lakers look like an enticing destination for superstars?
To make matters worse, James ended the game with an embarrassing sequence. Mario Hezonja, of all people, turned back James’ attempt at a game-winning shot at the buzzer.
