LeBron James's relationship with the Lakers has seen better days.
In the weeks since James made his decision to pick up his one-year, $52 million player option to remain with Los Angeles, plenty of ink has been spilled about the awkward relationship between player and team as new addition Luka Doncic clearly steps into the role of face of the franchise.
Barring a stunning trade that most teams don't have the means to make, James will play his 23rd season with the Lakers, but what lies beyond 2025–26, assuming he comes back for year 24, is a total question mark. Amid all of this uncertainty, the future Hall of Famer posted one of his semi-regular workout posts to Instagram on Thursday evening, with one very notable detail that caught the eye of fans.
He was working out in front of a giant Clippers logo in the first photo, and shooting on a court emblazoned with the Clippers crest in others.
Whether James was trying to send a message, only he knows for sure. However, these photos aren't quite what they seem.
The photos were taken at the Honey Training Center, which was formerly owned by the Clippers, until the franchise opened a new facility alongside the opening of the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. last year.
Klutch Sports Group, the agency owned by longtime James ally Rich Paul—and of which James is a client—recently bought the training center for the use of its clients. The agency confirmed that the photo was taken there to For The Win, but they have not yet switched out the Clippers branding.
This, of course, wouldn't have been the first facility owned by a non-Lakers NBA franchise that James has been spotted at this offseason, after he worked out at the Cavaliers' facility earlier this month. This doesn't even rise to that level, though, as it makes plenty of sense that James would work out at a Klutch property.
Whether James was shading his current team is up for debate, but it does not look as if he was hinting at a trade or anything more than that.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LeBron James's Workout at Clippers-Branded Facility Is Not What It Seems.