Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo admitted that he and LeBron James had a tough time leading the young Los Angeles Lakers team in the 2018-19 NBA season.
The Lakers had high hopes heading into the 2018-19 campaign after acquiring James in free agency. They also added Rondo in the hopes of having another veteran voice inside the locker room. However, Rondo admitted that it would have been easier for them to lead had they avoided the injuries they sustained during the season.
Rondo was slowed down by a hand injury, while James dealt with a groin injury which sidelined him for 18 games. The veteran point guard said that the injury affected their ability to build team chemistry.
“It's different between being a player and a hurt player,” Rondo said via Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. “You're not playing, so [if you] judge everyone else … people may not be as receptive. They'll be like, ‘Oh, you sound like a coach now; you don't understand.' LeBron misses games and doesn't travel, I don't travel—all that time away from the team, you can't come together as quick as you want. We couldn't get the chemistry together.”
The Lakers looked like a playoff team before James hurt his groin during their Christmas Day showdown with the Golden State Warriors. It also didn't help that the team's young players reportedly lost their focus after they were mentioned as possible trade chips for Anthony Davis.
The Lakers eventually ended up with a 37-45 record, which was only good for 10th place in the Western Conference.
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