Despite winning a title with the Los Angeles Lakers two years ago, LeBron James isn’t on the best terms with the team’s faithful. Amid a tumultuous season, the King has struggled to lead this team to compete as they did in 2020 and to some extent in 2021.
This season, however, things have been very different for him and the Lakers. They have struggled to get things going, with James earning a lot of criticism in recent times. The King was even heckled by a Lakers fan during a blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena.
This situation has sparked many debates around the league, with people wondering if LeBron made a mistake when he joined the Lakers. Stephen A. Smith and Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo discussed this topic in a recent edition of ESPN’s First Take. Russo stated that LeBron did make a mistake when he left Cleveland for Los Angeles, as he’ll never be one of the all-time great Lakers.
He explained that other players like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant are Lakers, as they earned the love and respect of the fanbase while winning multiple championships. He also mentioned Michael Jordan, who will always be a Chicago Bull, even though he’s the owner of the Charlotte Hornets.
Russo explained that even though he played in Miami, LeBron is not a Heat, meaning that he’s a Cavalier and nothing else.
“When you’re talking LA history, you’re talking West … Baylor … Kobe … Magic … and you’re talking Kareem. He is never going to be on that level. He’s a Cleveland Cavalier.”
.@MadDogUnleashed has some thoughts on LeBron’s decision to join the Lakers
“When you’re talking LA history, you’re talking West … Baylor … Kobe … Magic … and you’re talking Kareem. He is never going to be on that level. He’s a Cleveland Cavalier.” pic.twitter.com/FzAviqxIcY
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 2, 2022
He also pointed out that winning a championship in L.A. isn’t enough. Lakers legends recorded multiple trips to the Finals and won several championships (although West only won 1).
LeBron hasn’t had the best time in Los Angeles. After winning the 2020 NBA championship in the bubble, the team hasn’t been the same. They got rid of many players and added new ones that haven’t worked for them. This season doesn’t look that promising for the Purple and Gold and LeBron isn’t getting any younger. He must win now or his window will close.
