“It’s About the Money”: LeBron James’ Stunning Attempt to Control His Media Image With Lakers Breaks NBA Twitter

LeBron James, as everyone knows, is the star of the Los Angeles Lakers today. As the team’s centerpiece, he is the one who leads them into battle in every game that he plays. As the leader of the team, the nickname the ‘King’ fits him perfectly, especially since he produces incredible numbers regularly.

Moreover, he is a record-breaker and setter. He recently beat Karl Malone for 2nd place on the All-Time Scoring List and became the first player to enter the 30K, 10K, and 10K club. So clearly, it has been a very successful season for LeBron on a personal level.

However, his success has not passed on to the team. Following the latest loss against the Pelicans, the Lakers now have a 31-43 record and sit at 10th place in the West. This means that their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.

This downfall is something that was unexpected at the start of the season. However, the losses are not the only strange events here. For every game, every franchise puts up a graphic at the end of the game that includes the final score and usually features the team’s star. This is true regardless of wins or losses.

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Although the Lakers have adopted this methodology, they have done so with a small tweak. In all the losses that the team has faced this season, the Lakers have never featured LeBron in the graphic. This has caught the eyes of many fans who went into a frenzy on Twitter.

Fans React to LeBron James’ Media Image

Following the tweet about LeBron’s absence in the Lakers’ loss graphics, fans on Twitter went into a frenzy. Many stated that LeBron’s absence was money-related and that a narrative was created around the superstar.

Thereafter, many more expressed that it was only the Lakers who followed the tweaked practice. Moreover, they put forth evidence from other teams who, despite lost games, still put their star players in the graphic.

Clearly, the fans believe that LeBron’s media image control has a reason behind it. Whether it is to create a narrative, or based on money, it is unsure. But there is evidence that many other teams do not follow this practice. Regardless, the Lakers will prioritize making the playoffs for now. With just 8 games left in the season, LeBron will aim to lead his squad to victory.

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Hopefully, this will improve the standing of the team in the West. However, it looks like a miracle is required for the Lakers to make the playoffs, let alone win the title.