Brown: Lakers could be on wrong end of LeBron's legacy

In the first press conference the Los Angeles Lakers held after acquiring LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka were all smiles. They had just signed the three-time NBA champion, and now, the league’s all-time leader in postseason scoring.

With one addition, they instantly thrusted the franchise into the NBA’s ring of power. The Showtime Lakers were supposedly back and James was the ultimate headliner.

And for the Lakers, what made the James signing even sweeter was that the best was yet to come. By inking him to a four-year contract, the Lakers' front office had the security that the Cleveland Cavaliers never had. It could be creative in roster moves because they were one of the league leaders in available salary-cap space.

With the league’s best player moving in and plenty of money to work with, the 2019 free-agency circus was beginning to look like a chess match that would begin and end in Los Angeles.

Three months into the NBA season, the Lakers have every right to continue to feel confident about their future. After all, a healthy LeBron is still in the lineup and they still have space next summer for a maximum-salaried star.

But thanks to a few brutally honest comments from Kevin Durant this past week, the Lakers might be facing a new problem they didn’t see coming: The league’s stars aren’t interested in being James' sidekick.

In an interview with Bleacher Report, Durant pointed to both the style of play of James, as well as the ever-growing pack of media that follows him, as reasons to be cautious.

“LeBron is a player that needs to play with guys that already know how they play the game -- and shooters," Durant said. "Like, young players that are still developing, it's always going to be hard because he demands the ball so much, he demands control of the offense and he creates for everybody."

Durant went on to emphasize how Kevin Love and Chris Both had to dramatically adjust their game in order to fit alongside James. As much praise as James gets for being both the skilled conductor and the demanding floor general, Durant chose to cite these qualities as turnoffs for a star like Kawhi Leonard.

Durant wasn’t the only player to speak up about the issue. The Bleacher Report piece spurted out plenty of noteworthy comments from Rudy Gay, Tyson Chandler, Kyle Lowry and anonymous NBA scouts and executives.

These comments are not only important because of the impact they could have on the Lakers' potential abilities in free agency this summer; but in how they might impact the rest of James’ career, and ultimately, his legacy.

The league and its players have watched as James has cycled through sidekicks, role players and coaches. Some have been praised and glorified, while others have been ridiculed and kicked to the curb.

They’ve witnessed how his exit rolls through a city and a franchise like a hurricane, destroying everything and nearly everyone in its path.

They’ve seen the media flock to him but also how he has has flocked to the media, figuring out how to use it to masterfully shape the never-ending narrative.

They have taken notice on the structure of LeBron’s past contracts and the way in which he has built up the influence of his business and his brand.

The best and worst of LeBron has been showcased for 16 seasons. A handful of new power-hungry superstars like Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyrie Irving have surely taken notes out of the LeBron handbook and integrated them into their own careers. Even more frightening, they now have their own loyal following of role players to lead.

Durant’s comments this week could be evidence that the gradual shift in the NBA’s power dynamics, one that doesn’t involve LeBron at the center of it, could be coming sooner than we once thought.

The final chapter in James' legacy might not have a sidekick after all, and the Lakers might quickly realize just how complex greatness can really be.