LeBron James believes there is a double standard when it comes to players leaving a franchise in free agency compared to teams trading players.

James' comments came following the Clippers' trade of Blake Griffin to the Pistons.

"When a player gets traded, [the front office] was doing what was best for the franchise," James said. "But when a player decides to leave, he's not loyal, he's a snake, he's not committed.

"That's the narrative of how it goes. I know that firsthand."

James left the Cavaliers for the Heat in 2010 and then returned to Cleveland in 2014.

James said he was "a little bit in shock" when he learned that Griffin, who re-signed with the Clippers on a five-year, $173 million deal this past summer, had been traded after spending his first seven-plus seasons in Los Angeles.

"But you know the business, as unfortunate as it looks," James said. "You know the business. It is what it is."