"I don’t know the guys personally, but I do know people who know LeBron and AD on a closer level" - Jason McIntyre on LeBron James and Anthony Davis' goals going into 2022/23 season

While trade rumors and speculations around Russell Westbrook continue to endlessly swirl, it has been relatively quiet on the LeBron James and Anthony Davis fronts. However, there are surprising talks that “King James” and AD are no longer as determined to lead the LA Lakers to the championship.

NBA analyst Jason McIntyre, on his Straight Fire podcast, refuted these rumors.

"I have not heard that," McIntyre said. "I don’t know the guys personally, but I do know people who know LeBron and AD on a closer level…From the people that I talked to that do know people around LeBron and AD, they seem committed as much as ever to try and to lead the Los Angeles Lakers back to a championship."

"Hopefully, as a Laker fan, I would love to see that come to pass," he added. "I have not heard anything about those two, LeBron and AD, about being tired of each other.”

LeBron James has been spotted with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green on several occasions this offseason. The four-time MVP also played alongside Chicago Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan in the Drew League. He hasn’t been seen anywhere with Anthony Davis, though.

In the LA Lakers’ Summer League game against the Phoenix Suns, James went to the Thomas & Mack Center to support his team. The 18x All-Star met and had a conversation with GM Rob Pelinka and new head coach Darvin Ham. He also met with a few of his Lakers teammates, with the exception of Russell Westbrook, who sat 94 feet apart from James.

The lack of public appearances between LeBron James and Anthony Davis has raised some alarms. Laker Nation would be praying there’s not a smidgen of truth behind the talks, or else they can kiss another season goodbye.

The LA Lakers will still have their chance of entering the playoffs even if they get the same version of Russell Westbrook next season. But if LeBron James and AD are no longer as committed, Jeanie Buss might as well clean the house and rebuild.

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LeBron James is ceding the brunt of the offense to Anthony Davis

"King James" and head coach Darvin Ham have agreed to run the offense through Anthony Davis. [Photo: New York Post]

In a reported meeting between GM Rob Pelinka, Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Darvin Ham, the four discussed major points for next season. One of the biggest results of the powwow was “King James” signing off on the strategy to run the offense through Davis.

It is a significant development, both for the LA Lakers and for James’ career. For the first time, the four-time champ will no longer be the hub of his team’s offense. He was previously the catalyst and the engine of every team he has played for since he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers almost 20 years ago.

The fact that LeBron James is ceding control of the offense to Anthony Davis already speaks volumes of the trust between the two.