The Los Angeles Lakers have recorded a terrible 2021/22 season after being touted as clear favorites to win the NBA championship this campaign. The Purple and Gold assembled an incredible team on paper during the offseason, but they were never able to play as many people expected them to.
This leads us to this moment, where the Lakers are eliminated even from play-in contention, playing terrible basketball despite having a superteam. After the Phoenix Suns defeated and eliminated them from playoff contention, many NBA fans have blasted the Lakers, especially LeBron James.
This situation sparked many debates around the league, including the never-ending GOAT debate. Now that Bron missed the playoffs with a superteam, a lot of fans think he’s been disqualified from the GOAT race. Leading a veteran team to the promised land isn’t easy, but that’s something Michael Jordan did in 1998, taking the Chicago Bulls to their second three-peat in eight years.
Those Bulls were only 0.4 years younger than the 2022 Lakers, and many people think the biggest difference between the two squads was Michael Jordan’s greatness.
After a fan shared a pic comparing the 1998 Bulls to the 2022 Lakers, many others had something to say about it, some siding with Jordan and others defending LeBron.
Just gonna sit this right here… pic.twitter.com/B6rzvzWnhz
— Draze (Dumi Maraire) 🇿🇼🇺🇸 (@DrazeExperience) April 6, 2022
while i do agree that this lakers team was a bust, you’re purposely ignoring context a) injuries and b) simple skill level and fit, dwight howard is not scottie pippen, rodman isn’t missing half the year, westbrook is not that defensive anchor harper was
— ethan (@itthatkid253) April 7, 2022
https://twitter.com/el_hoosier/status/1512027341945462785https://twitter.com/StevenKelsey13/status/1512056943879221251https://twitter.com/TheDraymond/status/1511948320117346305
The championship experience difference between the two teams is extremely high. Also the Bulls were the favorites going into the season. The Lakers were third with one of the largest chemistry experiment ever to be performed on a court.
— The Indian NBA Nerd (@indiannbanerd) April 7, 2022
Lmao. So Clifford Robison. Terry porter. Herb willams don’t get mentioned. But Tyson chandler does. Lmao what about dell Ellis. Detlif schrimp. Nate McMillan. Sam Perkins and earvin Johnson mad max on the sonics but u mention serge ibaka. Lmao y’all need to go do some history
— Fade Em Juice (@CORTEZSUAVE) April 7, 2022
Are you kidding me people swear Jordan face no one. That 1998 season you had Shaq, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill before the injuries, Reggie Miller, David Robinson, Hakeem, and more.
— drift2damusiq (@drift2damusiq) April 7, 2022
Both team dealt w/ injuries but Lakers struggled to close games. W/ MJ, Bulls didn’t have that problem
— Jerry Hairston, Jr. (@TheRealJHair) April 7, 2022
Say it one more time
— Young Papo 🇵🇷 (@_YoungPapo) April 7, 2022
Jordan was making good players allstars. Lebron makes superstars regular playyers…
— Michal Ciborowski (@MichalCiborows1) April 7, 2022
teams were constructed differently. Lebron doesn’t have anybody but ad out of those 4 that compliment his playstyle. Every player with micheal compliments his playstyle in some way. So of course the flow is better which transitions to win.
— CORD ⚾️ (@CordKnowsSports) April 7, 2022
So the fact that some of those guys came straight in from vs… also does it matter that one has Phil Jackson and other had…
— Lance Gurley (@LanceGurley) April 7, 2022
MJ needed pippen, pippen didn’t need MJ
— James Kramp III (@James_Krampiii) April 6, 2022
Lakers average years= 33.6 years and Bulls=33.8 years. There’s no big difference. So what’s your point? 🤔🥱
— Jo (@jgash04) April 7, 2022
https://twitter.com/ChaouiQG/status/1511989653447987203
Yup today's NBA had Load Management so it helps their body more👍👍
— 0fficialMike🐐(Michael Jeffrey JorGOAT ) (@Le6Ls) April 7, 2022
Jordan did retire after this season… Interesting note Tim Duncan won his last ring at 37. Oh and Chris Paul is currently 36 and still balling and winning!
— Draze (Dumi Maraire) 🇿🇼🇺🇸 (@DrazeExperience) April 7, 2022
Lol scotti missed half the season and mj and phil spent all season trying to keep dennis from spiraling every weekend and jordan still played 80+
— Brandon Merrill (@Brandon8022) April 7, 2022
You don’t think Rodman’s ankles hurt? You don’t think Pippen might have landed awkwardly and tweaked a little something? These are injuries that sideline guys like Street Clothes for weeks whereas most players tough it out.
— Pelicans Door Dasher (@PelsDoorDash) April 7, 2022
Bulls: 169 years old in total, average age of 33.8. Resulted in a 62-20 record, playoff record of 15-6, championship.
Lakers: 168 years old in total, average age of 33.6. Resulted in record of 31-48 (3 games left), missed PLAY IN (couldn’t even finish at 10 seed)
— Jay (@jayspartan20) April 7, 2022
And Jordan, #GOAT𓃵 , played all 82 games through 95/96-97/98 seasons
— Troy (@No_Coder) April 7, 2022
MJ'S goat its that simple. https://t.co/lzawY9NtYw
— themagicbean (@bigice44) April 7, 2022
https://twitter.com/tateframes3/status/1512071375871119363
These debates won’t stop anytime soon, as every day somebody brings out another reason to place one of Jordan or LeBron above the other. Things have reached a new level with the Lakers’ elimination from play-in contention and many people will try to kick James and his team while they’re down.
They had high expectations entering this season, but they’ll have to wait and hope for the best if they want to relive their 2020 NBA championship.
