Anytime LeBron James steps onto a court, the best and smartest play a coach can call is to hand him the ball and say “go.” That said, when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, he reportedly didn’t want to be used in that same way and preferred to be surrounded by creators as well as some shooting rather than just the latter.
After Kobe Bryant gave his two cents on the way the Lakers rely on James (echoing some of Magic Johnson’s previous concerns), James responded with a very nuanced answer that takes into account both short- and long-term approaches.