Larry Nance Jr. explains why the Lakers' rebuild was a toxic situation: "We were all kind of pitted against each other"
Before LeBron James arrived with the Lakers , they were in the midst of a rebuild that offered considerable potential and promise. The Lakers' young core features the likes of Lonzo Ball , Brandon Ingram , Larry Nance Jr. , Kyle Kuzma , and Josh Hart .
While the majority believed that this core would end up being very good, that wasn't the case behind the scenes. In fact, the core was more toxic behind the scenes than people outside thought.
"We were all kind of pitted against each other to a certain extent," revealed Nance in the book "A Hollywood Ending." "It's hard not to develop resentment in that situation. All you can see is, 'I'm fighting for my livelihood with these guys.'"
The Lakers had a lot going on
What Nance and the Lakers ' young core went through is considered normal in the NBA. Teammates indeed fight over playing time, contracts and even the approval of their coach and management.
Given that this was the Lakers and that they were trying to find the successor of Kobe Bryant — who had just retired the year prior — it's not a surprise that there was competition behind the scenes.
According to Nance , it led to a very unhealthy environment that may have affected their performance on the court. It also didn't help that by 2018, rumors about James' arrival had already begun circulating, which only increased the tension behind the scenes.
"None of us can really see that all of us were good guys just trying to survive. It was all cutthroat and not a really healthy environment," added Nance.
As soon as Bron took his talents to Los Angeles in 2018, it was clear that the Lakers were no longer rebuilding and were automatically operating under The King's timeline. That added even more pressure for the young guys to perform. LBJ changed the dynamic of the team so much that it was the young core who had to do most of the adjusting.
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LeBron's team
When James became the face of the Lakers franchise in 2018, the core had to adjust to playing alongside one of the most ball-dominant superstars in NBA history. Their coach at that time, Luke Walton , challenged the young core not to be in awe of James but instead to embrace the challenge of being his teammate.
"I mean, obviously, we all respect that he's one of the greatest players our game has ever had. But as teammates and peers, you want guys that are going to be out there to make plays next to him. Not just throw him the ball and hope that he gets it done. There's definitely a respect that you see. When he's talking in practice, they're listening. He's leading the team with the way that he's practicing, the way that he's communicating. They all follow his lead," said Walton.
Unfortunately for most of them, James' stint only served to break them apart, as they all went their separate ways. The Lakers decided to build around James, which meant acquiring a co-superstar in Anthony Davis .
To this day, Ball feels that it was a mistake and while the organization will never really know if it would've been better had they stuck with the young core, they'd take that 2020 championship over the unknown.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
