Russell Westbrook was not feeling LeBron James during his tenure with the  Los Angeles Lakers.

Yaron Weitzman, author of “A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers,” shared in an excerpt from his book that Westbrook and James grew tired of one another.

According to Weitzman, Westbrook’s relationship with James quickly deteriorated when he arrived for the 2021-22 season. While many soon saw that Westbrook’s style of play did not mesh well with James, behind the scenes, Westbrook allegedly described James as “fake.”

He’d seen all the examples of LeBron seemingly misrepresenting himself, the excerpt read. “There was the time LeBron claimed that “The Godfather” was his favorite movie, but then failed to recall a single line when asked during a press conference to name one.”

“There was the time he carried The Autobiography of Malcolm X into a media session but stumbled when asked to name his biggest takeaway,” the excerpt continued. “There was the time during an interview when he claimed that, the night Kobe scored 81 points, he’d predicted beforehand that he’d go for 70, a clip so widely mocked that it became a popular meme.”

Another example Weitzman pointed out was a team session with Will Smith.

When Smith arrived for the event, James and Davis left the room. Westbrook was told by teammate Patrick Beverley that James and Davis “can do whatever the f— they want.” But everyone else on the team had to more or less stay in line.

Eventually, James and Davis returned to the room and greeted Smith. James reportedly became interested in Smith’s talk, asking several questions, which caused the meeting to go over time.

“I hate that fake s—,” Westbrook later told a teammate, according to Weitzman. “I just can’t do it.”

In February, Westbrook was traded to the Jazz, bringing his time with the Lakers to an end. Reportedly, his relationship with James has never been the same.

In a May 2025 interview, Russell was asked what tips he would give to James for his first appearance at the Met Gala.

“I haven’t talked to Bron in—I don’t know how long,” Russell said.