Former NBA Star J.R. Smith Makes Surprisingly Blunt LeBron James Comment

Lakers and Cavs NBA Champion J.R. Smith made an honest comment about his former teammate.

Mar 13, 2018; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (left) and guard J.R. Smith against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

LeBron James is in his 22nd NBA season.

He has been able to remain among the best players in the league, which has been one of the most outstanding achievements of his legendary career.

That said, James has struggled over the last week, and the Lakers have lost their previous two games by a combined 70 points.

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On Wednesday evening, the Lakers got blown out (134-93) by the Miami Heat.

After the game, J.R. Smith (a former key teammate of James) made a surprisingly honest comment (via Nightcap).

Smith: "It just seems like he's disinterested. It's early in the season... He don't think he got the true pieces to be in the right position. It's so many different factors that go into it... You find yourself disinterested."

Smith was one of the best role players on several NBA Finals teams.

During the 2016 season, he averaged 12.4 points per contest while shooting 40.0% from the three-point range.

He helped the Cavs win the 2016 NBA Championship over the Golden State Warriors.

Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (C) and guard J.R. Smith (C) celebrate with fans after defeating the Golden State Warriors 115-101 in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Smith also had a short stint with the Lakers when they won the 2020 title.

Mar 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) guards Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While the Lakers are just 4-6 over their last ten games, they are still right in the mix of things in the Western Conference.

They are the ninth seed in the Western Conference with a 12-10 record in 22 games.

In addition, the Lakers are just 2.0 games back of the Dallas Mavericks for the third seed.

Dec 4, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks up at the scoreboard late in a game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

James is in his seventh season with the franchise.