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Report: Griffin told James' camp that comments were missing context

Nathaniel S. Butler / National Basketball Association / Getty

David Griffin is reportedly backtracking after wondering aloud in an interview published Thursday if LeBron James was as committed to winning as he used to be.

Griffin spoke with a person close to James after the Sports Illustrated article came out and said his comments were missing some context, sources told ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

In the SI story, Griffin stated about James, "I don't think he's the same animal anymore about winning", and added that his job as general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron there was difficult.

"Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not fun. I was miserable," Griffin said. "Literally the moment we won the (2016) championship, I knew I was gonna leave. There was no way I was gonna stay for any amount of money."

Sources close to James also told McMenamin they were "shocked" at Griffin's characterization. James posted a cryptic tweet Thursday evening.

Former NBA center Kendrick Perkins - who played for the Cavs in 2015 - also chimed in on the matter.

Griffin left the Cavs in 2017 when his contract expired, a year before James' departure to the Los Angeles Lakers. As the new president of the New Orleans Pelicans, Griffin satisfied Anthony Davis' trade request by dealing him to the Lakers in June.

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