After a terrible 2021/22 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been a laughing stock around the NBA. The 17-time NBA champions mightily struggled to get things going this season, becoming one of the most disappointing teams of all time after a 33-49 record.
They landed Russell Westbrook and a series of veterans that looked like serious candidates to win the Larry O’Brien trophy this June. Unfortunately, things never played in their favor and the Lakers will miss the play-in tournament.
Amid his bad situation, many fans have found ways to kick them while they’re down, with some calling LeBron James’ tenure with the team a failure. Others compared this season to previous ones, taking shots at James for dismantling a team that gathered a lot of young talent and made it the bad squad they are right now.
@DrGuru took to Twitter to take another shot at LeBron James, saying that he made the 2022 Lakers a worse team than the young squad that finished 35-47 in 2018.
https://twitter.com/DrGuru_/status/1513698647581634565
Of course, this sparked a big debate, with some fans defending LeBron, while others attacked him for doing whatever he wanted to have the team he wanted and make a lot of good players leave the Lakers only to become solid assets on a different squad.
“LeBron made the Lakers worse” pic.twitter.com/2Bmaz3bMgP
— Dre$ (@TooLive_GTP) April 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/TedraTheMom/status/1513699795608690689
I think you’re forgetting something pic.twitter.com/Nhpc0qbO2N
— Sir Boobtron (@jimmyboobtron55) April 12, 2022
Lebron gave LA a chip less then 2 years ago yall just be talking on the internet
Nobody gave a fuck about the lakers after kobe retire, lakers was talking bout lonzo then bron gave em a chip
— The Emissary 🥷🏿 (@EmperorWorf) April 12, 2022
LeBron’s Laker Regular Season Record(2019-2021) before Russell Westbrook – 131W 94L
AD’s Laker Regular Season Record(2020-2021) before Russell Westbrook – 94W 49L
LeBron & AD’s Regular Season Record(202 2) since Russell Westbrook –
33 Wins 49Losses
That’s the Russ effect pic.twitter.com/lEEIY25z9u
— Keston (@Kes_K) April 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/Exbacc/status/1513698903727747073
You can’t ever bash lebron a day of your life after this pic.twitter.com/tgIUNdw4RI
— 𝐋𝐁𝐉𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐓 👑 (@Brons_Goated) April 12, 2022
LBJ made the Lakers relevant again. People act like the Lakers were something before LBJ got there…….
— MSM (@shawnny81) April 12, 2022
This team is older than that team
— The Yellow Mamba 〽️🐊 (@TheMattXu) April 12, 2022
Ion een like lebron like that but they won a ring bro
— melyk (@hblmelyk) April 12, 2022
18-19 missed playoffs
19-20 bubble ring
20-21 1st round exit
21-22 missed playoffs
— C (@IrRagel) April 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/CANTquitMUSIC/status/1513699139044925444
— EG (@lalakers909) April 12, 2022
Kobe wasn’t close to being the same player after he tore his Achilles. 13 is a better yr to compare cuz he was still n his prime, and had a team with the same expectations as this yrs Lakers. Kobe lead them to the playoffs and sacrificed his prime to do so
— theo long (@oledefense1033) April 12, 2022
well in 2018-19 they were 20-14 before injuries and failed to regroup
and they went 49-14 in 2019-20 before the bubble
and in 2020-21 they were 21-6 before injuries
but this season they were just bad
— yc99.bsky.social🌷🌹🇻🇦🇵🇭 (@officialYC99) April 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/LetmeKnowKJ/status/1513782854492246017
He did his part ✅ Now ask yourself, where was the help(?) Quit hatin on greatness. pic.twitter.com/JpZ2xr6QSt
— BSchamz (@BenSchamberger6) April 12, 2022
Bubble ring #NeverForget
— Your Cincinnati Reds Are Back (@rose_bookie) April 12, 2022
And Julius Randle made the @nyknicks amazing!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
— Pistol P (@shoaibt87) April 12, 2022
The Lakers have a lot of work to do, and until the offseason begins and they start making moves, we won’t see these debates and jokes fade. This is only the beginning of a long journey, where they’ll try to get the right pieces to compete next season.
We have to wait and see how this situation will play out, but there’s still hope for the Purple and Gold. LeBron James is set to stay with them, and probably sign one-year contracts after his current one is finished. Once that happens, we’re pretty sure the Lakers could add even more talent to the roster.
