How Russell Westbrook Led to LeBron’s Departure from Lakers

Cameron KiszlaThu, Jul 2, 2026·2 min read

When superstar LeBron James revealed that he’s coming back for another season, but not with the Los Angeles Lakers, the first question for many was what drove King James away.

Granted, the end to the 2025-26 season had been frustrating, with the purple and gold swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but injuries to stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves played a big part in that.

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So why would James want to leave?

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports, it’s an issue that dates back years.

Lakers, LeBron James have had ‘disconnect’

McMenamin said that while James “welcomed a change” from the Lakers, it had nothing to do with the acquisition of Doncic, who became the face of the franchise.

“While they worked through growing pains on the court as two ball-dominant players, they got along and respected one another off of it,” he wrote.

Instead, the issues go back to another All-Star’s acquisition five years ago.

“There was more of a disconnect between James and the organization, sources said, one that started during the doomed 2021-22 season following the Russell Westbrook trade and never fully recovered,” he wrote.

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What happened with Russell Westbrook?

As many Lakers fans wish they could forget, Westbrook arrived as the Lakers searched for a third star to join James and Anthony Davis in LA.

NBA writer Yaron Weitzman, reporting from his book, “A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers,” said both James and the team wanted to take a big swing after a first-round playoffs exit in 2021, which came only one year following a title in the bubble.

“The obvious move was to run it back. Maybe tweak along the margins. Instead, everyone—meaning LeBron and the Lakers—went looking for a third star,” he wrote on social media.

A post shared by Noel Sanchez (@noisebynoel)

After much maneuvering, the Lakers ended up with Westbrook, who was traded away within a year and a half.

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The ensuing blame game is what damaged the relationship between James and the Lakers.

“So: whose fault was it? LeBron pushed for Westbrook, but the front office was fully on board,” Weitzman wrote. “In other words: everyone had a hand in it, which made it easier for each side to blame the other. Which is exactly what everyone did.”

The post How Russell Westbrook Led to LeBron’s Departure from Lakers appeared first on LA Sports Report.

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