Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James spoke about his ‘win or bust’ mentality that makes him care less about scoring titles or other personal accolades if he does not earn another NBA championship.
During the latest episode of The Shop, James opened up about the pressure of having to build a team culture when he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers at 18 years of age.
James, 37, explained how there was no culture in the organization before he arrived, and went on to say that he still has ‘sleepless nights‘ when his teammates do not have a ‘win or bust‘ mentality as he does.
“I could go back to when I was drafted at 18 and made my debut with Cleveland,” James said. “There was no culture and I felt like it was my job as an 18-year-old to try to build the culture.
“I’m obsessed with ‘win or bust’ and what makes me have sleepless nights is when you don’t have everyone that feels the same way in your club.”
LeBron James vs. Russell Westbrook
The comment could be taken as a subtle jab towards Lakers teammate Russell Westbrook, who during the season said he was ‘okay’ if the squad did not win the title.
Westbrook struggled to fit into the James-led system in Los Angeles for the majority of his first season with the Purple & Gold.
He is now rumored to be at odds with James, who has been pushing for the Lakers to acquire Kyrie Irving in a trade that would include Westbrook.
James and Westbrook were both spotted at a Summer League game and did not greet each other as they sat on opposite sides of the court.
Westbrook, 33, opted into the final year of his contract with $47 million left, making it a nightmare to trade him.
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