Pelicans VP Griffin on working with LeBron: 'Frankly, not fun'

David Griffin was not fond of his time with LeBron James when Griffin was the general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers and James was in the background calling the shots. Griffin, the vice president of basketball operations with the New Orleans Pelicans, told Sports Illustrated in a magazine article published Thursday that his days in Cleveland were pressure-packed and "miserable."

"Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not fun," Griffin told SI. "Literally the moment we won the championship I knew I was going to leave. There was no way I was going to stay for any amount of money." Griffin said part of the rub for him and others in that position is James will get all the credit and zero blame.

"That's not fun for people," Griffin said. "They don't like being part of that world." Griffin said his relationship with James was fine. But the pressurized atmosphere sapped his appreciation for the game to the point of literal exhaustion. And while James was laser-focused those days on bringing a title to Cleveland -- a promise he fulfilled -- Griffin was not afraid to say he doesn't see the same fire from James in Los Angeles.

"There wasn't a lot else for him," Griffin said. "I don't think he's the same animal anymore about winning."