Lakers coach recalls story of LeBron James not playing hard enough

LeBron James is undoubtedly one if not the best players in NBA history. His individual achievements speak for themselves, especially the ones in the playoffs, as he leads in many categories such as wins, points and steals. However, according to a Lakers assistant coach, he recalls a story where he thought LeBron James wasn't playing hard enough during his second stop in Cleveland.

During an episode of ‘No Chill’, Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy recalls how he thought that LeBron James wasn't playing his best basketball during the 2014-15 season with the  Cleveland Cavaliers, as he was an assistant coach there too. But the coach's opinion changed completely once the playoffs started and James showed why he is the best player of his generation.

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Handy commented “I remember, i said ‘coach man, this dude doesn't play hard all the time. I was saying that to myself.. this was like year 14 for Bron. And I was like ’Nah that's not it'. Then the playoffs started, so I had never been around Bron in the playoffs… after Game 3 in the playoffs, I went to him and apologized.”

According to the coach, he told LeBron “I got to apologize to you man because I was clowning you during the regular season." Then, LeBron James answered to the coach saying “PH, I've been in the League a long time, this is how I wrap myself up. I have to go through the regular season, and make sure when the playoffs hit, I'm optimal”.

Can LeBron James play his best in the next playoffs?

LeBron James has fallen short in the last two seasons. Last campaign they missed the playoffs altogether, and two years ago he played decent but not good enough to take the Lakers to the next round. Now he has to get to the playoffs healthy, which right now is the most important thing for the team.