I’ve been an avid fan of LeBron James since he was playing at AAU games in high-school, watched him score 25 straight points in the 2007 East Finals as he ascended to superstardom and the face of the NBA for over 2 decades, saw him carry the Heat and Cavs to 8 straight finals, it was amazing to watch him play visually on television but ever since LeBron has joined the Lakers I’ve got to tell ya it’s been frustrating to watch. The injury in his first season which kept him out for 17 games; a stretch in which the Lakers went 4-13 without him and he took a good 4-5 games to really get his wind back but by then it was too late and I had to deal with being berated for an entire summer by LeBron haters. He cleans house after everyone thought he came to the Lakers because maybe he felt Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were going to become the next Jason Kidd and Kevin Durant through the 4 years he signed to be there but he brings Anthony Davis and immediate championship expectations were once again put on LeBron and he delivered a championship his very first season with Anthony Davis even after a 4-5 month delay due to the pandemic.
It really was a joy to watch LeBron and Davis dominate on both ends and look like 2 giant great whites amongst a herd of fish on the court; it reminded me of Kobe and Shaq’s dominance through their 3-peat where no matter what the opposition had to offer Shaq and Kobe together were just too much. LeBron has been frustrating ever since he won the lone championship he has won as a Laker back in 2020, 2021 injuries robbed him of a possible 5th League MVP and I still can’t fathom he let Devin Booker demoralize the entire Staples Center with a 48 point barrage in the first-round of the playoffs but he was let off the hook that season and Davis was used as the scapegoat for the Lakers being eliminated in the first round that season. Last season Davis misses half the season and LeBron and Westbrook were left to carry the Lakers and they massively failed while LeBron sat on the sidelines late in the season missing crucial games which would’ve improved their chances at making the playoffs. The Kobe fans were in full-effect being that Kobe would have to tear an ACL to miss a game while LeBron just laughed and giggled on the sidelines with Davis with their sights on this current season which looks like it’s in turmoil with LeBron suffering yet another foot-related injury.
I’ll give the Lakers the benefit of the doubt as Rob Pelinka did make worthwhile moves which have made them a deeper team that isn’t so reliant on LeBron and Davis having to both suit up every game in order to win regular season game but I’m starting to lose faith in LeBron continuing to be a Laker beyond this season. Why? Well LeBron has proven one thing and it’s that he’s injury prone now, he’s no longer the iron-man who could brush off any tick-tack injury and have you questioning whether he was created in a secret lab no one knows of. I’m sick of the hoopla “Oh boy well if LeBron and AD are both out there no one will stand a chance”, well I’m here to tell ya no one fears LeBron and AD any longer even with this revamped roster which includes much needed length,3-point shooting, and depth. Is this what it really comes down to? Having to rely on Davis to remain healthy and oh yea he’s going to have to put up Wilt Chamberlain numbers for LeBron to have any hope of winning a 5th championship as a Laker, it’s no knock on Davis as I hope he does just that being that he is supposed to be in the prime of his career right now but what assures us LeBron will do his part? He can’t even stay on the court for 3 straight games these days.
I never bought into LeBron ever signing with the Lakers, why would he sign with a franchise who has a good portion of LeBron critics who you could never convince him being better all-time than former Laker legend Kobe Bryant who gave the Lakers everything he had for over 20 years and never bailed no matter what upper-management put around him. For me personally LeBron is the best ever not because of his 4 championships on 3 separate franchises but because of who he was at the peak of his powers in the 2010’s. What LeBron is doing at 38 years old and 20 seasons into his playing career is unparalleled, we’ve seen former hall-of-famers Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar play well into their 40’s and still rank amongst the best in the league but LeBron is still being asked to be not only the best player on the Lakers but also the entire league which should be unheard of at this point but that is what comes with calling yourself the best player in NBA history and also vowing to still be in the pursuit of more championships and how winning them is your ultimate passion. So in a way should we feel bad for LeBron and all the critique he receives even at this stage of his career? Not really, he brings it all on himself.
Sorry I’m just not buying the Cinderella Story with the Los Angeles Lakers this season and I’m also not expecting LeBron to put a Superman Cape on and will the Lakers to the NBA Finals in 2010’s fashion, it’s just not happening. Not because they can’t become a 6th seed out West and catch up in the standings even with LeBron out, the opposition out West is just too much and it would take a prime LeBron James to win with this roster. Darvin Ham seems like he preaches the same gibberish in every post-game interview after a loss that makes me think he should go back to being an assistant coach. All I have left to say is LeBron won’t be saving the Lakers not this season or beyond. I think it’s time for LeBron to take a good hard look into that mirror and change the way he plays and approaches the game, that could mean asking out of Los Angeles and going somewhere he could settle into a secondary role where his usage rate could go down to avoid continuous injuries throughout the regular season. I think Laker fans will be done with him if the Lakers miss the playoffs yet again while he sits out with the season on the line. If LeBron has any dignity left he should ask out in the summer, as he’s only shining light on The Black Mamba Kobe Bryant’s historic legacy with failure after failure.
D-NBA 