The former NBA coach shared his view on LBJ on Bill Simmons’ podcast.

Even though LeBron James is recognized for his team-oriented play and constant search for an open teammate, he may be a challenging player to play with if you ask Doc Rivers. This is not a surprise, as his teams and teammates always got special attention, with trade rumors being a given when you play with LBJ.

On the most recent Bill Simmons podcast, when talking about the Los Angeles Lakers crisis, the host and former coach went back and forth on how to make Purple and Gold better. But one take stood out, and it was given from the perspective of someone who clashed with LeBron numerous times.

“As good as he is, and he makes people better in some ways and in a lot of ways, but he is also not easy to play with, either. You play with LeBron James, you know, and that statement says what I am trying to say,” said Doc on Bill Simmons’ podcast.

You need to be ready to make sacrifices

Playing with one of the best players ever to grace the hardwood has its tools, and even though he is 39 years old, LeBron still performs at an extremely high level. That said, it is not a surprise that he likes being the offense’s focal point, which can be troublesome for some of his teammates; just ask D’Angelo Rusell.

“If you got big eyes playing with him, you can’t play with him,” added Rivers. “When you play with great players, your players need to have rational confidence that they can shoot, or they should be shooting, or they should be aggressive.”

When his team wins and plays well, all these things tend to quiet down, and everybody is mesmerized by James’ court presence and abilities. Still, fans and the media are starting to voice their concerns as the Lakers are in free fall and want more from them.

“LeBron puts a lot of pressure on his guys, and rightly so,” concluded the championship-winning coach.

During his 21-year-long career, no player elevated other players like LeBron did. Still, even in his most selfless playing days, some players needed a while to become accustomed to playing with him. His former Cavs teammate Kyrie Irving recently talked about and admitted he never truly fit in with The King.

The Lakers and Bron need to pull themself together

As he is coming to the end of his career, James would surely like to add at least one more championship to his name. But looking at this season and the way his team has played, it is looking like a tough task for the LA franchise.

The Lakers’ players were mentioned in several trade rumors, and with a loss to the Phoenix Suns last night, they are again below .500, which is not a position they wanted to be in mid-January. But we should never cross out LeBron and his team, as just last year, they made it to a WCF after the disastrous first half of the season.