For the first time since 2011, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics are dominating the headlines of the NBA. It’s not because they are the favorites to compete for the title like almost a decade ago, but rather because they seem to be stuck in an endless cycle of team dysfunction. Whether the coverage is fair or not, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James have not been subtle this year in calling themselves and their teammates out for subpar focus and play.
Irving, after a loss to the Orlando Magic on Jan. 12, said to reporters: “The young guys don’t know what it takes to be a championship level team. What it takes every day. And if they think it is hard now, what do they think it will be like when we’re trying to get to the finals?”
These comments roundly drew criticism from people saying that Irving was deflecting responsibility for the loss onto others.
LeBron made similar comments that were seen as criticizing his teammates for a lack of focus: “Just come and do your job. We do our job at a high level and that's not a distraction. That's what you want. That's what you want every game. You want to feel like you're fighting for something.”
While it’s true that James was simply answering a question from a reporter regarding whether or not questions of a playoff push were seen as a distraction, the phrasing of his response definitely directs some critique onto the attitude of Lebron and his teammates during their recent losing streak.
For both Irving and James as well as the Lakers and the Celtics, these quotes sum up the pattern of discussion surrounding the teams all season long. With both teams underperforming, the leadership of James and Irving has been called into question time and time again. The juggernaut that is the sports media is doing all that they can to enlarge these stories.
Despite all the noise surrounding both teams, there isn’t anything unique about the Lakers and the Celtics’ problems this season. Each year, every team that is on top, or comes in with a star-filled roster or simply has LeBron James, faces this criticism. The teams that continuously distinguish themselves are the ones that push past the constructed narratives and prove the media wrong.
The Warriors’ winning run over the past few years is even more impressive when you consider their ability to ignore all the calls of division and stick it out for not just an exhausting 82-game season, but also a two month long playoff push as well. Almost every dynasty in history has been disrupted by internal division on the team. Kobe and Shaq feuded, MJ and the Bulls’ front office feuded. The hardest obstacle is making it past those internal divisions. James has proven before that he can do so and is getting another chance to prove it again, and the Celtics are realizing that they must prove it as well.
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