LeBron James has a love-hate relationship with Toronto Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard. Nothing personal — it’s just a superstar thing: James respects and admires Leonard’s game because James is a fan and student of basketball greatness; on the flip side James like everyone else in the NBA would prefer not to be guarded by Leonard. (That’s where the hate comes in, as in “man, I hate it when Kawhi guards me.”)
In an NBA era where tampering is a big deal, James has to be careful in communicating with players under contract — like Leonard. At the same time, James is charged with shoring up the Lakers roster with some superstars so he can regain his place at the top of the NBA pecking order. (James missed the playoffs for the first time in forever this year.) How to solve that dilemma? To recruit but not tamper?
🖐🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 28, 2019
James, according to various sources who try to divine his mysterious ways, is using semiotics to talk to his potential recruits. After Kawhi Leonard had a monster 45-point opening game against the 76ers, James simply posted a hand emoji on Twitter. Conspiracy theorists — really, conspiracy lovers — think that hand looks a lot like Kawhi Leonard’s “claw” logo. Is James really talking to Leonard? (All NBA players have hands.) And really, is social media the best place to reach Leonard anyway? (All signs say no.) But NBA players have interpreters these days, even if they don’t do social media themselves. And James has plenty of time on his hands. Tweeting a single emoji doesn’t take long.
