Griffin: Building around LeBron was 'miserable'

[CelticsElite]

Griffin told Sports Illustrated for a story published Thursday that the annual challenge of building a title contender around James was too stressful, even if it did result in a championship in 2016.

"Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not fun. I was miserable," Griffin said. "Literally the moment we won the championship I knew I was gonna leave. There was no way I was gonna stay for any amount of money."

"There wasn't a lot else for him," Griffin said. "I don't think he's the same animal anymore about winning."

Griffin told SI that he privately wept the night the Cavaliers won the title, saying he was so obsessed with winning that he "didn't love the game anymore."

Griffin ultimately parted ways with the Cavaliers in June 2017, with his contract set to expire at the end of that month.

"LeBron is getting all the credit and none of the blame. And that's not fun for people," Griffin said of the challenge of working with and playing with James. "They don't like being part of that world."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27302340/griffin-building-lebron-was-miserable

[GreenFaith1819]

Wow.

David Griffin is normally viewed - by me, at least - as staying above it all. I can see where he's coming from, though.

But you can't deny that LeBron James will go down as one of the best of all time....

Is this article REALLY all on LeBron? Or Kyrie's wonkiness? Or both?

Could this be playing into why even AD will look at pursuing FA next summer? Being non-commital even NOW?

Stay tuned - NBA is NEVER a dull moment.

[PhoSita]

I think the all the credit / none of the blame thing is real. 

That's not conducive to a positive atmosphere, to say the least.

[cons]

i cant wait for lebron to be gone
we've all been there done that w him for quite long enough
next please!!

[Wretch]

I think the all the credit / none of the blame thing is real. 

That's not conducive to a positive atmosphere, to say the least.

It is a real thing and good leaders understand leadership is more about taking responsibility and giving credit.

[celticsclay]

Also adds a new layer of understanding to all the stars publicly and privately opting not to play with Lebron the last few years.

[csfansince60s]

i cant wait for lebron to be gone
we've all been there done that w him for quite long enough
next please!!

TP.......sick of LeFemaleDog being deified by himself AND his sycophantic, enabling, apologist fanboys and stans.

So the guy has great, natural? physical skills and basketball instincts and he's never been caught doing anything untoward and he is big into charities (as are most NBA players).....Big deal!!! That's why people deify him?

And why does he deify himself, with "The Chosen One" tatted across his shoulders/back. Why doesn't he just get neon-signed up and have flashing lights implanted under his skin to make sure people really see he is The Chosen One.

Bron Bron is **** and a petulant diva. He and Trump share a narcissism and a messianic complex. They are far more alike than either would want you to believe.

He started this "super friends/team" crap by colluding with Riley and Wade and Bosh, and he knew that he and Riley would get away with it because he is The self-proclaimed KIng and the league wouldn't touch him nor Riley by extension and the league wanted the quick $$$$ that the super team would provide. And look what has happened since then....sad.

Great player, granted. Greatest ever...not a chance.

But, hey....bang Bron Bron around, and you're a jealous hater.

[Roy H.]

I’m shocked to see that type of candor toward from an active ex cursive toward an active player.  I’m sure it’s all true, but people rarely go on the record with that stuff.

[ozgod]

He's just confirming what we all suspected - it's a nightmare playing with/working with LeBum because of the nature of who he is, he just exerts such a force on everything. KD talked about it earlier, about how LeBum sucks all the oxygen out of the room. Whether it's because he's a Machiavellian manipulator or just because of who he is, he's like a black hole with how he affects things around him. I don't think he's a bad person per se, no more than any person with power and influence is, and certainly he will go down as one of the greatest ever, but any team/organization with him in it is basically LeBum James and the Seven Dwarfs. If the team wins it's because of LeBum, if they lose the cast around him wasn't good enough. I can just imagine how difficult it would be, not so much for the grunts, but the other major stakeholders and decision makers around the team.

[SHAQATTACK]

Amazing fact !    Gosh ...incredible revelation....dang ...let the cat out of the bag didn't he.

i would have never suspected this for a minute !

[Rakulp]

I'm not surprised at the replies to the OP so far, which focus on the player...because that's understandable.  Great talent in any field usually leads to headaches (i.e., rock stars who want certain colored M&M's )

I guess I've reached the age where the first thing I see is somebody who finally achieved what he had been chasing all his life...only to find it didn't bring him the joy he thought it would.  That's a life lesson.

[Birdman]

See what happen last season in LA..tried and trade half the team midway thru season ..it cause trouble in locker room

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

He's just confirming what we all suspected - it's a nightmare playing with/working with LeBum because of the nature of who he is, he just exerts such a force on everything. KD talked about it earlier, about how LeBum sucks all the oxygen out of the room. Whether it's because he's a Machiavellian manipulator or just because of who he is, he's like a black hole with how he affects things around him. I don't think he's a bad person per se, no more than any person with power and influence is, and certainly he will go down as one of the greatest ever, but any team/organization with him in it is basically LeBum James and the Seven Dwarfs. If the team wins it's because of LeBum, if they lose the cast around him wasn't good enough. I can just imagine how difficult it would be, not so much for the grunts, but the other major stakeholders and decision makers around the team.

Important to note that "the cast around him" was usually hand-picked by ... him. Yet somehow he's not responsible for his own bad personnel choices.

[Csfan1984]

I don't get it at all. This is an absolute joke. I don't like LeBron's personality or character still I'll say this; Cavs have always gone all in when they had LeBron and made a ton of bad decesions but it eventually did work. They got a title in Cleveland. Let's also not forget the fans and $ LeBron brought that franchise and city. Talk about an ungrateful Gm.
   Boo.. hooo.. I have to try and build a title team every year since I already have the best player in the league. What an awful situation

What a joke.

[ozgod]

He's just confirming what we all suspected - it's a nightmare playing with/working with LeBum because of the nature of who he is, he just exerts such a force on everything. KD talked about it earlier, about how LeBum sucks all the oxygen out of the room. Whether it's because he's a Machiavellian manipulator or just because of who he is, he's like a black hole with how he affects things around him. I don't think he's a bad person per se, no more than any person with power and influence is, and certainly he will go down as one of the greatest ever, but any team/organization with him in it is basically LeBum James and the Seven Dwarfs. If the team wins it's because of LeBum, if they lose the cast around him wasn't good enough. I can just imagine how difficult it would be, not so much for the grunts, but the other major stakeholders and decision makers around the team.

Important to note that "the cast around him" was usually hand-picked by ... him. Yet somehow he's not responsible for his own bad personnel choices.

Exactly...which is probably one of the main things that Griffin found so frustrating.