LeBron James Breaks Silence On Rich Paul Saying Los Angeles Lakers Should Trade Austin Reaves
On his podcast with Max Kellerman, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, who represents NBA legend LeBron James, said the Los Angeles Lakers should trade Austin Reaves to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jaren Jackson Jr.
It was a controversial comment by Paul, who is one of James’ best friends.
Many people around the NBA speculated that James wants the Lakers to trade Reaves, who is currently out with an injury.
However, James told Dave McMenamin of ESPN he loves playing with Reaves and that Paul’s comments are “not a direct reflection of me and how I feel.”
“I think you all know by now, Rich is his own man and what Rich says is not a direct reflection of me and how I feel,” LeBron James said. “And I hope people know that. I hope people know that and if they’re not sensible to know that, then I don’t know what to tell them.
“Rich, that’s what he’s doing. That’s his whole thing. That’s what he’s doing. That’s what he’s talking about, but I have zero conversations about what his topics are going to be or what they are going to talk about. He is his own man and that is his platform.”
One of Reaves’ agents, Reggie Berry of AMR Agency, approached Paul on the sideline near half court at halftime of the Lakers-Atlanta Hawks game Tuesday (1/13). The two spoke for more than five minutes and the topic of conversation was Paul’s public trade scenario regarding Reaves, according to McMenamin.
James said there has been no fallout between him and Reaves, who is his longest-tenured teammate on the Lakers.
“AR knows how I feel about him,” LeBron James said. “All you got to do is look at us on the bench. Me and AR talk every single day. So, AR knows how I feel about him and I hope AR — or his camp — don’t look at me and think this is words from me are coming through Rich.
“Rich has his perspective of what he sees, I have my perspective. I’m a grown man, he’s a grown man and I think people should realize that grown men can say whatever the f— they want to say and it shouldn’t reflect somebody else is saying it.”
The Lakers are 24-14 on the season. They are in fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
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