LeBron James won’t share his true feelings about Kevin Durant joining the Warriors

LeBron James must have complicated feelings towards the Golden State Warriors. It’s James who benefited from superteams like them in Miami and now with the Cavaliers, and it’s James who became the most prominent superstar still in his prime to leave a team voluntarily in free agency. Both of those things contribute to the loaded Warriors being in a position to close out Cleveland in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.

On Sunday, James took a question on the subject of Kevin Durant joining the Warriors from TNT and NBA.com’s David Aldridge. James answered it rather ominously, explaining why he wouldn’t give a full answer right now, but rather at “some point in his career.” Here’s the video.

Here’s the question and answer transcribed, if you can’t watch.

DAVID ALDRIDGE: LeBron, you said last week that you thought the Warriors team coming together was good for basketball, the way they’ve put their team together. Do you have any sense, knowing the history of the game, that people are perceiving this differently, because there has always been great teams put together in NBA history.

LEBRON JAMES: Well, I can see it from both sides. I’m not going to exactly give you my opinion on how I can see it from both sides. I will, at some point in my career. I’m not at that point now. I’m not at that point now because people kind of take it the wrong way. So I have my opinion on how people see it from both sides and I have pretty good knowledge about it. So a few years from now, David, I’ll tell you how I really feel about the whole situation. But they’re a great team, they’re assembled as good as you can be as a professional team, and they’re on a quest to win a championship.

Like Aldridge referenced, James has praised the Warriors in certain moments, or at least defended them adding Kevin Durant.

Here’s the full quote, per Business Insider.

”But is it fair? I don’t care. I mean, I think it’s great. It’s great for our league. Right now, look at our TV ratings, look at the money our league is pouring in. I mean, guys are loving the game, our fans love the game. I mean, who am to say if it’s fair or not?

”No matter who I’m going against, if I’m going against four Hall of Famers ... or if I’m going against two, or whatever the case may be, I’m always excited to play the game. And I’m not one to judge and say if it’s fair or not if guys are adding players to their team. So that’s what you want to do.

“Is it fair that the New York Yankees in the ‘90s was adding piece after piece after piece? I mean, if you have the opportunity to do that — is it fair that the Cowboys added Deion Sanders? I mean, listen, it happens. It’s sports. You have an opportunity to sign one of the players, and you can do it, go ahead and do it. Why not? If I become an owner, I’m going to try to sign everybody.”

At the same time, James pushed back on the idea that his career choices as he changed teams twice are similar to Durant joining the Warriors. James wasn’t criticizing Durant’s decision, to be sure, but he clearly didn’t see them as analogous.

It’s impossible to glean exactly what James meant by saying he wouldn’t really answer Aldridge’s question until later in his career. Clearly, James is aware that any criticism of their team-building approach would come back with reactions about how he joined his two most recent teams with superstars around him.

Then again, maybe James doesn’t have a criticism at all, or it’s of a much more nuanced variety that he fears will be lost in translation. That’s my hunch, knowing James’ careful, subtle approach to issues in basketball and even in the world. The NBA Finals, with all eyes on him, probably isn’t the right time to allow 100 different media outlets to attempt 100 different interpretations of his words.

Instead, maybe he’s just waiting until his comments can be taken more constructively.