LeBron James made it abundantly clear that he was not going to end his career playing for the struggling Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers are 14-21 and are in danger of not making the postseason for the second time in a row. To start with, they began their campaign with a 0-5 run before stringing up some wins and operating in recovery mode.
Much of their wins came on the back of brilliant performances from Anthony Davis and James, but with the former ruled out indefinitely due to a stress fracture, the onus was on the veteran to deliver.
To his credit, James has been phenomenal at 37, notching up constant 25+ point performances. He’s defied father time to dish out impressive numbers, but unfortunately, a poorly constructed roster has been the Lakers’ bane this season.
In 17 games since returning from injury, LeBron is putting up 30/8/6 on 52%fg.
He has posted a +69 in those games while playing 36 minutes a night. The team has been -53 in the minutes he sat. pic.twitter.com/vG33sRmews
— NBAStatGuy (@NBAStatGuy_) December 29, 2022
In 17 games since returning from injury, LeBron is putting up 30/8/6 on 52%fg. He has posted a +69 in those games while playing 36 minutes a night. The team has been -53 in the minutes he sat.
According to Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike, James was vocal about not ending his career by playing “meaningless basketball.”
LeBron James postgame made it clear that he's not willing to end his career playing meaningless basketball, that he again wants to compete for championships. As of today, the Lakers are seven games under .500.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) December 29, 2022
LeBron James postgame made it clear that he’s not willing to end his career playing meaningless basketball, that he again wants to compete for championships. As of today, the Lakers are seven games under .500.
Earlier, James had also expressed his disappointment after the 112-98 loss to the Miami Heat, and in his own way, had an alarming take on his future with the franchise.
“I don’t wanna finish my career playing at this level from a team aspect,” said James after the game. “I still want to compete for championships. I know what I can bring to any ball club with the right pieces. I’m a winner and I want to win. And I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships.”
“That has always been my passion, that has always been my goal since I entered the league as an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio. And I know it takes steps to get there, but once you get there and know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA. It’s not in my DNA anymore. So, we’ll see what happens and see how fresh my mind stays over the next couple years.”
At the time of writing, it’s safe to speculate that James just might consider a move from LA if the results continue to go downhill.
Where Do The Los Angeles Lakers Go From Here?
The Lakers’ attempts to play .500 basketball bombed when they lost a string of games after notching up a win against the Washington Wizards earlier this month. They were pipped by the Phoenix Suns, the Sacramento Kings, and the Charlotte Hornets.
While the win against the Orlando Magic arrested their three-game losing streak, the blowout loss to the Heat now puts them further to hitting the .500 mark and breaking into the Top 10 in a stacked Western Conference.
The present roster is entirely reliant on James and Davis, and should the Lakers suffer another injury to their only driving force, they will pretty much be done for the season. Their best bet is to make solid trade moves and attach the right pieces alongside their superstars.
The team plays the Atlanta Hawks next before facing off against the Hornets and the Heat once again.
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