Revealing the Rift Between Westbrook and LeBron: Early Season Collapse Shattered Trust, Smith’s Visit Intensified the Conflict

On October 21st Beijing time, The Ringer’s Yaron Weitzman detailed the discord between Westbrook and LeBron, revealing how their bond soured once they joined forces. The full story follows—

In early July 2022, LeBron showed up at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas to watch the Lakers’ Summer League. His arrival caused a stir among the crowd, with fans raising their phones to capture the moment. New teammates Thomas Bryant, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and management figures like Ham and Rob Pelinka all approached to greet him.

Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook sat motionless on the opposite side of the court. He saw LeBron enter before the game but didn’t stand up; after the first quarter, he didn’t cross midcourt; near the end of the second quarter, he stood and left through the tunnel, never returning.

This scene became a hot topic that evening. Social media circulated side-by-side images contrasting LeBron and Westbrook sitting together during the previous summer league versus having zero interaction this year. Commentators focused on it, and the Lakers’ new coaching staff grew concerned.“We knew eventually Westbrook would have to come off the bench because he just didn’t fit with the team, but seeing that moment made us realize, ‘Wow, these two guys don’t even talk anymore,’” a Lakers coach said.

The spark for the conflict was rumors surrounding Kyrie Irving. Irving had one year left on his Nets contract (a $36.9 million player option) and wanted to re-sign, but Brooklyn refused. Since joining, Irving missed games due to refusing the COVID vaccine and promoting an anti-Semitic film on social media. The Nets were unwilling to offer him a lucrative guaranteed deal. Irving then requested a trade, with multiple reports naming the Lakers as his preferred destination and LeBron wanting to reunite with him.

However, Lakers-Nets negotiations stalled: Pelinka showed little interest in Irving, and even if he did, Brooklyn refused to take on Westbrook. Ultimately, Irving exercised his option to stay, but the damage was done—NBA salary matching rules meant the Lakers would have to trade Westbrook to acquire Irving. Westbrook knew this and was aware LeBron understood it as well.Regardless of what LeBron said publicly, Westbrook was convinced: LeBron was pushing the team to move him out.

Season Start Collapse: Trust Shattered

In mid-October 2022, the Lakers lost their season opener 109-123 to the Warriors; two nights later, in their home opener, Westbrook went 0-for-11 as the Lakers fell again to the Clippers. When reporters asked how he felt about his performance, Westbrook replied, “Solid effort, gave it my all—that’s all you can ask for.”

Three days later, the Lakers hosted the Trail Blazers, hoping for their first win. With 36 seconds left and a one-point lead, Westbrook pushed the ball but didn’t run down the clock, instead taking a 15-foot jumper from the right wing that bounced off the rim. Anthony Davis and LeBron watched from the perimeter, throwing up their hands in visible frustration. The Lakers lost 104-106, starting 0-3.

After the game, reporters asked LeBron about the team’s “shot selection in critical moments” and how he would prefer to manage final possessions from a basketball perspective. LeBron responded, “I feel like you’re trying to trap me into saying something. I can tell your mind’s already on ‘Russell Westbrook.’” He added, “Write whatever you want about Westbrook, talk about anything you want, but I’m not going there—I’ve said it plenty of times, I’m not that kind of guy.”

But Westbrook didn’t buy it. To him, it was just another example of LeBron’s “words not matching actions.” As early as December the previous year, Westbrook told reporters, “Everyone says ‘Let Westbrook be himself,’ but I don’t think anyone really knows what that means—it’s just lip service.” This clearly targeted LeBron. When asked after the season about LeBron repeating that phrase, Westbrook firmly stated, “That’s not true, let’s be honest.”

Westbrook was well aware of LeBron’s “reputation”—he had witnessed many instances of LeBron’s “self-promotion”: LeBron once claimed The Godfather was his favorite movie but couldn’t recite a line when asked; he brought Malcolm X’s autobiography to a press conference but stumbled when asked what he gained from it; in another interview, he said he predicted Kobe’s 81-point game by guessing Kobe would score 70 points—a clip that became a viral meme for its absurdity. LeBron’s tendency to exaggerate was so well-known it was even joked about on shows he helped produce—in November 2022, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey asked LeBron on the talk show The Shop if it was true he liked to brag.

To Westbrook, this was the real LeBron, and he had had enough.

Will Smith’s Visit: Conflict Erupts

Two days after losing to the Trail Blazers, the Lakers gathered at the training facility where Pelinka informed the team a special guest would visit—he had created a “Genius Series” inviting celebrities from various fields (like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kendrick Lamar, Elon Musk) to interact with the team. This time, Hollywood star Will Smith came (just six months after his infamous slap at Chris Rock at the 94th Oscars).

The team first reviewed the Trail Blazers game in the film room, with Ham strictly pointing out the mistakes that led to their 0-3 start. After the review, Pelinka told the players Smith had toured the facility (even shooting free throws with him) and Jenny Buss’s office, and would soon meet them.

As Pelinka and Ham left to welcome Smith, LeBron suddenly stood from the middle row, dropped a “You guys handle it,” and rushed out the back door. “Damn, bro,” Davis said, standing to follow him.

The remaining players were stunned, exchanging confused looks, unsure how to react. “We were all shocked, wondering ‘What’s going on?’” one player recalled.

Westbrook then stood and asked, “So, are we all leaving?” “No, Russell,” answered Patrick Beverley, the tough point guard the Lakers had just signed that summer, “We’re staying.” Westbrook asked, “What do you mean?” Beverley said, “Those two can do whatever they want—they’ve won championships.”

During their dispute, other players understood Westbrook’s mindset: as a nine-time All-Star, former MVP, and future Hall of Famer, why should he be treated differently from LeBron and Davis?

Pelinka returned and asked, “Ready?” Beverley replied, “Not yet, we need five more minutes.” After Pelinka left, Ham walked back into the film room, silently sat in the front row watching Westbrook and Beverley continue their debate. Then he stood, exited through the door where LeBron and Davis had left, and shortly returned with the two stars, going to fetch Pelinka and Smith.

When Smith arrived, everyone greeted him with smiles and high-fives. He spoke with the players about his new film “Emancipation,” overcoming adversity, and even joked with the team before opening the floor for questions.

LeBron was the first to raise his hand; after Smith answered, LeBron kept firing question after question, extending the planned 30-minute session to nearly an hour.“Those who were thinking about leaving earlier were now quoting movie lines and asking about his life story,” one attendee recalled.

Westbrook, sitting in the third row fiddling with a bowl of fruit, watched all this in disbelief, shaking his head and rolling his eyes every time LeBron spoke. Later, when the Lakers gathered for a group photo, Westbrook told teammates, “I hate all this fake stuff, I really can’t stand it.”

The next afternoon, the Lakers posted the group photo on social media: Will Smith stood among players, coaches, and Pelinka holding a custom jersey; a few feet to his right, Westbrook’s face was full of anger.