LeBron James is heading into his eighth season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It is the longest stretch he has spent with any one team, and it comes as he edges closer to the end of his career.
LeBron was brought in to get the franchise back on track, and he managed that by delivering a title in 2020.
There was plenty of belief in him around that time, but according to Markieff Morris, that confidence has faded since then.
Markieff Morris says current Lakers players no longer respect LeBron James
Morris was part of the 2019-20 Lakers squad that won the championship, so he has seen up close how much influence LeBron had on that group.
He returned to LA in a veteran role for the 2024-25 season, and from his point of view, things felt very different this time around.
Speaking on the Morris Code podcast, he said: “Being with the Lakers last year, I felt a lot of times that the respect was not high enough as it should have been.”
Morris continued: “I can say, before 2020, the bubble run? Way different feeling. Way f______ different feeling when it comes to like who we’re talking to.”
Since the 2020 title, fan sentiment has shifted towards LeBron and the team.
The main issue has been LA’s postseason struggles, and Luka Doncic was signed to solve it.
LeBron James reportedly faced a lack of respect from LA Lakers players
Morris went on to talk about Doncic joining the team, even mentioning that he brought up the issue of respect directly with LeBron.
“Now, you did get Luka, so it’s gonna be [his team], but I just felt that respect wasn’t high enough.
“I actually said it to him a couple times like, ‘Bro, what the f___? These n_____ got you f_____ up.’ I’m confused.”
If there is any truth to what Morris said, it could help explain why James might be thinking about moving on from the Lakers at season’s end.
Remember, he chose to pick up his $52.6 million player option instead of agreeing to an extension in the offseason.
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