"A** game brother" - LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul react to Russell Westbrook parting ways with his longtime agent

LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul weren't thrilled to learn that Russell Westbrook was parting ways with his agent.

Paul has been in James' inner circle since 2002, even before he entered the NBA. The two don't just share a client-agent relationship; they are are close friends. Paul founded Klutch Sports Group in 2012 and is now considered one of the most powerful sports agents in the world, per Forbes.

Russell Westbrook and his agent Thad Foucher of Wasserman are splitting after working together for 14 years. Rich Paul was distressed at the disloyalty and tweeted:

"It's a cold game!"

LeBron James then quote-tweeted and agreed with Paul.

The Russell Westbrook saga in Los Angeles is well-known; numerous rumors suggest the team is looking to trade him. Meanwhile, official reports from the organization say the opposite. He had his worst season since his sophomore year in the NBA, and the LA Lakers didn't even make the play-in tournament. He is considered a liability on both ends of the floor. The fanbase clearly wants to get rid of him.

The team is reportedly interested in Kyrie Irving and is trying to build a package around Westbrook to acquire him. However, he exercised his player option and is going to start next season with the Purple and Gold.

His longtime agent cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their split.

Thad Foucher, in a statement to ESPN, gave an explanation for the divorce. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarwoski reported:

"With a possibility of a fourth trade in four years, the marketplace is telling the Lakers they must add additional value with Russell in any trade scenario. And even then, such a trade may require Russell to immediately move on from the new team via buyout."

"My belief is that this type of transaction only serves to diminish Russell's value and his best option is to stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that Darvin Ham publicly offered."

"Unfortunately, irreconcilable differences exist as to his best pathway forward, and we are no longer working together. I wish Russell and his family the very best."

The report evidently indicated that Westbrook wanted to depart LA and find a new team.

LA Lakers members react to Russell Westbrook and LeBron James sitting apart at a Summer League game

Russell Westbrook and LeBron James of the LA Lakers in 2021

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook attended one of the LA Lakers' Summer League games, but they didn't sit together courtside. In fact, not only did they not sit together, they also didn't even acknowledge each other during the game. Fans expected the teammates to share a moment during halftime or after the game ended, but they didn't.

Several members of the Lakers organization took notice and found the incident "awkward." Orange County Register's Kyle Goon reported:

"There was evidence of strain a week ago, when Westbrook attended one of the Lakers’ Summer League games in Las Vegas and sat near the team bench, but did not approach or seem to publicly acknowledge teammate LeBron James in any way. James did not approach Westbrook either, and the two teammates left the game at different times through opposing entrances in Thomas & Mack Arena."

"The subtext of the chilly scene seemed clear. Several people within the Lakers organization acknowledged it was an awkward and tense moment between it's two most high-profile superstars, sources told Southern California News Group."

Some members of the organization found the moment "awkward" and "tense" because the incident took place after widespread rumors surfaced that LeBron James wants to reunite with Kyrie Irving. Hence, the reason for Russell Westbrook's supposed cold demeanor. Additionally, certain LA Lakers members described the relationship between the two franchise stars as "frosty." ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reported:

"I had been told to watch that dynamic between the two and see how it plays out, that if Russell Westbrook stays on this team, how it’s going to be. And it had been described to me as – I asked, is it a rift? And I was told that’s a little too harsh. But it definitely sounded like it’s frosty."

Only time will tell if Russell Westbrook and LeBron James begin and end next season as teammates. Right now, the situation in LA certainly looks complicated.