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Iman Shumpert says he struggled with Ty Lue’s message about playing with LeBron James, ‘it sucks…’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 9:30 AM ET

Iman Shumpert had to swallow a very bitter pill from Ty Lue as an instruction to be LeBron James’ teammate.

Playing with LeBron James in the NBA can feel like a bit of a double-edged sword. This isn’t necessarily a reflection on him, either, but rather the pressure of playing with such an elite player.

On the one hand, James is an incredibly talented star who isn’t selfish with the ball. He sets up his teammates well and helps them improve thanks to his basketball IQ and vision.

But there is the pressure of having to play your part, as James is usually on teams that are competing for an NBA championship.

Failing to hold up your end, even for one game, can lead to an all-out attack on your talent level, skill, and even character from fans and the media alike.

But it appears this pressure isn’t even self-imposed for athletes, nor is it from outside forces. In fact, James’ coaches tell the players what they’re in for when playing with him.

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Iman Shumpert reveals Ty Lue instruction not to be a scorer for Cleveland Cavaliers

Iman Shumpert spoke on NBA Today about the challenges that come with playing alongside LeBron James. The pressure for any young player is absolutely massive.

Shumpert recalled a time when, after a strong game where he shot well in the playoffs, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Ty Lue told him to be a 3-&-D expert, and not a leading scorer for them.

“There is a ridiculous amount of pressure that comes with it. You have to be in a ‘win-now’ mindset every time you play on his team.

“You have to be able to say, ‘Now, in this time that I’m playing with LeBron, can I sacrifice? If I was scoring 20 a game somewhere else, now it needs to be 12 a game.’

“I had my time with T-Lue, I had a great playoff game, really shooting it well, next game I know we’re going to run some plays for Shump. Absolutely not.

“Go sit in the corner, knock that shot down, keep defending like a madman, we don’t need you to score.’

“It was a hard pill for me to swallow as a young player, trying to get my stuff off. I really want to get better and develop.

“I understand him saying now, ‘it ain’t about you’, ‘you gonna want to win that ring more than you win ‘player of the month’, way more than ‘most improved player’.

“It sucks when you’re going through that because that’s a mental battle for any player. It sucks at the beginning.”

LA Lakers no longer making LeBron James the focal point of their team

At 40 years of age, LeBron James is still one of the best players in the NBA. However, unlike years past, like the time Shumpert referenced in Cleveland, he is not the primary option on his team.

The LA Lakers have prioritized Luka Doncic over LeBron James as their centerpiece, believing that LeBron’s championship ambition isn’t their main priority anymore.

While the Lakers are committed to building around James and Doncic, there is quite a lot of noise about LeBron potentially leaving the team.

After activating his $52.6 million player option, James will be a free agent next season. To avoid losing him for nothing, the Lakers might consider trading him to recoup some assets.

One NBA insider proposed a LeBron James trade to the Dallas Mavericks. Even though any deal is unlikely as of now, don’t be surprised if James is on a different team come February of 2026.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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