We’ve reached the point of the offseason where LeBron James is posting cryptic passive-aggressive Instagram posts.
The NBA offseason hasn’t really started until LeBron James is cryptically posting on social media with a passive-aggressive caption/tweet.
So, in that regard, Thursday was the official mark of a real NBA offseason.
LeBron has been the topic of much debate this summer. His statement upon opting into the final year of his contract with the Lakers has dominated a lot of the discussion. It’s been a game of “Will he, won’t he” with regards to whether he plays for the Lakers next season, though that was hardly ever in doubt.
Having said all that, there’s been very little that has come directly from LeBron, at least until Thursday. LeBron took to Instagram with a very interesting post, showing him working out in the Clippers facility with a patented passive-aggressive caption.
For those unable to see the caption, it reads as such:
Say whatever you want but you damn sure won’t be able to say I didn’t put in the WORK!! . We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist. Man F this Shhhhhh.
This, naturally, raises lots of questions.
First, why is he at the Clippers facility? It’s very common for players to train at facilities for other teams during the offseason, as LeBron did with the Cavs in Cleveland earlier this summer. But that first picture very clearly — and deliberately — shows a big ole wall with Clippers on it in the background.
So, what’s the reasoning for that? A practical excuse could be that the facility could be closer to where LeBron lives and he wanted to avoid traffic. This is the old Clippers practice facility, so maybe Klutch Sports rented it out for the summer for players to work out.
Even if there is a logical explanation to this, LeBron still intentionally chose a photo that has “Clippers” in big lettering in the background.
And then there’s the caption. I’m not sure who the haters LeBron is talking to in the post are, but he’s sure sending them a message. For the record, LeBron has been posting his workouts on his Instagram story throughout the summer, so maybe this is some sort of continuation of that.
The bottom line is, LeBron’s passive-aggressiveness really hits different, and not in a good way, when he’s no longer the top dog on a team. Doing this while Luka is on a media tour and about to sign an extension with the Lakers in just a couple of days feels like interesting timing, to say the least.
It’s just a whole bunch of questions that fans care far less than ever about finding out the answers to.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.