Did LeBron James Have Internal Conflict With Austin Reaves? Fact-Checking Insider’s Viral Comments

Austin Reaves had still not processed a life without LeBron James in Los Angeles. He said he had "nothing but love and respect" for the veteran star, who has now chosen to take his talents to the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent. However, The Athletic's Law Murray chooses to differ. Murray wrote that James had an "internal conflict" over how much he had to defer to reaves while covering him last season.

"Covering LeBron James last season, he had an internal conflict going on with how much he had to defer to Austin Reaves (even Bron understood that Luka was the top dawg in any circumstance)," Murray wrote in an 'Ask Me Anything' post on Reddit.

He added that James “was very pleased with being able to still be the lead option in a postseason setting, particularly a winning one against the Rockets.”

The rest of the same answer was about Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey already knows how to share the ball with Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, James Harden and even VJ Edgecombe, so James would not have to over-handle it.

That is the full claim. It is not a quote from James. It is not a quote from Reaves. It is a beat writer’s words from a Reddit AMA. Some recaps upgraded it to “irritated,” “serious tension,” or a relationship problem.

Murray did not use those words. He described a star on the wrong side of 40 adjusting to usage behind Luka Doncic and a younger guard who had the best scoring season of his career.

James was a third option last season for the first time. Reaves averaged 23.3 points. The Lakers locked Reaves into a long extension near $180 million before James left for the 76ers. Reaves, in his first comments after the departure, talked about the relationship as the only NBA life he had known.

What Law Murray Actually Said About LeBron James and Austin Reaves, and What He Didn’t

The part that checks out is the hierarchy. Murray said James accepted Doncic as the first option. The friction was due to the extra deferral to Reaves. When the Lakers needed James to run things against Houston, Murray says James was pleased to be that lead option again.

There is no on-record account from James saying he resented Reaves. There is no on-record account from Reaves describing tension.

“Internal conflict” can mean a private adjustment to minutes and touches. It can also be seen as a fight. The first version is what Murray wrote.

So, did LeBron James have internal conflict with Austin Reaves?

According to this Lakers beat writer who reported and opined on it, James struggled with how much he had to defer. That report is real. A secret war between them is a frenzy the internet added.