Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates his game winning shot against the Indiana Pacers with teammates at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates his game winning shot against the Indiana Pacers with teammates at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Watch: Richard Jefferson & Channing Frye Open Up About Challenges Of Playing With LeBron James

Originally posted on Lakers Nation | By Matt Peralta | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is one of the most competitive athletes in the world as he has done everything in his career to win as many championships as possible.

James made unpopular decisions to leave for teams like the Miami Heat, but in the end it resulted in his first two championships. From that point forward, James was a staple in the NBA Finals and now is desperately looking for a way to get back there with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James and the Lakers have been in the news a lot this summer as the two sides appear to be operating with their own agendas in mind. LeBron is adamant he can still compete and win for titles now, while Los Angeles seems to be signaling they’re taking the longer view in mind with Luka Doncic on the roster.

Players like Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye understand what it’s like to play with a motivated James and the two explained why it can be a challenge, via the Road Trippin’ Pod:

“Playing with LeBron SUCKS”

That’s reality when your trying to win at the highest level

https://t.co/DV6Pgao1PP pic.twitter.com/XGkDBwCa84

— Road Trippin’ Show (@RoadTrippinPod) July 16, 2025

In the video, Jefferson says James was harder on his teammates because he wanted to win a championship at all costs and would get on them for missing plays or small details. While Jefferson admits that the added pressure of being LeBron’s teammate is a real thing, he also defends the Lakers star by saying the same things could be said about playin with Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant.

Superstars like James who are trying to win at the highest levels need their teammates to be at their best in order to get the job done. He has been seen barking orders and yelling at teammates for poor plays on the court throughout his time in Los Angeles and that shouldn’t change with his career winding down.

James is expected to be with the Lakers for the start of training camp, and it’ll be interesting thing to see if the team dynamic has changed with all the noise this summer.

Mavericks not interested in trading for LeBron James

LeBron James hasn’t necessarily down a good job of quelling rumors that he wants out from the Lakers, but he also hasn’t confirmed he’s trying to leave either. Teams like the Dallas Mavericks make sense for James should he demand a trade, but they are reportedly not interest in a deal for the 40-year-old.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Lakers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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