Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka’s recent revelation of what franchise superstar Luka Doncic told him to do has some NBA fans thinking about LeBron James.
LeBron led the Lakers through an eight-year run where they had a lot more success than they get credit for, making six playoff runs and reaching every single stage of the postseason from being first-round exits to winning a championship.
With the Lakers now entering the Doncic-era after LeBron’s exit, many fans are taking Pelinka’s words about what Doncic told him this summer to be a shot at LeBron.
Rob Pelinka says Luka Doncic told him and JJ Redick to do their jobs
In an interview with ESPN LA, Pelinka revealed what Doncic told him over this summer about the team’s roster construction, with the 27-year-old guard wanting to be hands-off in that process.
“Ultimately, I have the final responsibility to make calls on the roster and Luka is very clear like, ‘I want you to do your job. I don’t want to be the GM, I don’t want to be the head coach. JJ, you are the coach, Rob, you are the GM and president. Do your jobs.'”
Doncic has done this before as well, notoriously being criticised for not making his voice known within the Dallas Mavericks in terms of roster construction after his early breakout led to him carrying poor rosters.
Pelinka masterminded a complete Lakers overhaul this summer, exhausting their remaining draft assets to acquire Walker Kessler while signing veteran players like Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes.
Fans think this was a shot from Rob Pelinka and Luka Doncic to LeBron James
Naturally, many fans have taken this to be a shot at LeBron, as he is considered to be very hands-on in terms of picking the roster around him.
Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
“He better not be firing shots at LeBron,” said one fan.
“They have been sneak dissing Bron all summer,” said another fan.
“He’s not shooting at Bron weirdos he shooting at JJ and Rob ‘DO YOUR JOB,'” said a fan sharing why it isn’t about LeBron.
“A superstar asking everyone to do their actual jobs is probably the best-case scenario,” said another fan steering away from making this about LeBron.
“Anyone saying he’s dissing Bron is slow. What he’s actually doing is making the GM and coach responsible for their actions and decisions but watch the media still blame Luka if the team underperforms because he ‘gave his blessing,'” said another fan.
“This is not a sneak diss to LeBron. Nothing to see here,” said one fan who is considered to be connected to LeBron’s inner circles.
LeBron did influence moves like the Anthony Davis acquisition, which led to a title, but also the Russell Westbrook trade, which essentially killed their title hopes for the rest of the LeBron era.
Doncic and LeBron share a strong personal relationship, so it is unlikely that Doncic is suddenly taking passive aggressive and out-of-character shots at a player he considers his idol.
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