Scouts: LeBron calling his own plays when running point
Even on a new team, LeBron James is already calling the shots.
The Los Angeles Lakers' superstar is apparently uninterested in head coach Luke Walton's play calls when he runs the point, rarely looking toward the bench at those times and running the plays he prefers even when he sees them, advance scouts told ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
To Walton's credit, he's apparently adjusted to LeBron's demands, allowing him to call the game when he's the primary playmaker - which is almost every minute he sees the court.
James has a history of taking over play-calling duties. After returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, he struggled to accept head coach David Blatt's decision-making and famously changed the play before hitting a game-winning shot against the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs.
"To be honest, the play that was drawn up, I scratched it," James said afterward to CBS Sports' James Herbert. "I just told coach, 'Just give me the ball. We either going to go into overtime or I'ma win it for us.' It was that simple."
This season, the Lakers are 11-9 after a 2-5 start. James has led the way, averaging 27.6 points, 7.9 boards, and 6.7 assists.