LeBron James offers interesting criticism of Celtics

LeBron James offered criticism this week of one of his biggest career rivals.

On the latest episode of his podcast, “Mind the Game,” with Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers star James spoke out about the Boston Celtics after their elimination from the playoffs. James said during his remarks that he believes the Celtics can get bored and complacent at times on the court.

“You think they get bored sometimes?” said James. “Like, they’ve been doing this s–t so long. It seems like they get bored sometimes with the — I don’t want to say the process – because they are who they are.

“When you look at [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown, this is years and years and years and years,” James added. “They’ve punched their 10,000 hours, but sometimes it seems like they get a little bored because of how great they are, not only as those two as individuals, but them as a team. And sometimes, it looks like they get bored.”

James’ take shouldn’t be a controversial one. The Celtics were the NBA champions last year on the strength of their wrecking-machine offense that set a record for single-season offensive rating (123.2). They also have a rich history of success with their Tatum-Brown core, making (over the years) five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and two to the NBA Finals in conjunction with their 2024 championship.

But this season in particular, the Celtics appeared prone to stretches of disinterested play. During their second-round series vs. the New York Knicks, Boston blew multiple 20-point leads on their home floor, putting them behind the eight ball even before Tatum tore his Achilles. They eventually lost the series 4-2, ending the Celtics’ hopes of a second straight title.

Now it looks like Boston’s sense of complacency, which was apparent to even James, might cost them dearly. Some prominent NBA figures believe that the Celtics, in the wake of their second-round exit, could now have to blow up their team this summer.