That comes from Windhorst, who is LeBron's personal mouthpiece. I'll buy that NO never wanted to deal with LA because LeBron and his folks were blatantly tampering, but it's also laughable at how much LA played itself given that Boston had expressed interest but has tied down until the end of season.
There's a lot of projection from team LeBron right now, I didn't like him going to LA but I admired it in sort of an Uncle Drew kind of way, that he might shape/re-mold a glamour franchise that has lost it's way. But that lasted a fraction longer than a cup of coffee.