LeBron James reportedly hasn’t taken kindly to the Los Angeles Lakers’ struggles since they won the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament in December.
James’ patience “has been tested” amid the team’s ongoing slump, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. However, the four-time NBA champion “figures his best response to the slump is to lead by example on and off the court and hope everyone in the organization applies the same standard.”
“James consults with the coaching staff when called upon and joins dialogue with the front office when scenarios are brought to him, but his focus remains maximizing his role,” McMenamin wrote.
The Lakers are 4-10 since beating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 to win the NBA Cup on Dec. 9 and are 3-7 in their last 10 games.
The Purple and Gold’s slump includes losses to the 5-30 San Antonio Spurs, 17-21 Chicago Bulls, 8-26 Charlotte Hornets and 13-23 Memphis Grizzlies. They now sit 10th in the Western Conference with an 18-19 record.
The latest report on James’ frustrations comes as little surprise after the veteran was blunt while speaking to reporters following a Jan. 5 loss to the Grizzlies, saying, “we just suck right now.”
James was also reportedly overheard saying that he thinks his son, USC freshman Bronny James, could suit up for the Lakers right now amid their skid.
“He could play for us right now. Easy,” LeBron allegedly said following the loss to Memphis
not another way to describe the version of lebron we just saw in the locker room besides “furious.” “i’m not thinking that far back in the past. it was just two games. we suck right now. ” he told a reporter who asked him about vegas and what’s changed since then
— claire de lune (@ClaireMPLS) January 6, 2024
While James has put up some lackluster performances since winning the In-Season Tournament, including a 12-point outing in a loss to the Miami Heat on Jan. 3, he’s still playing some solid basketball.
In 12 games since the tournament finale, James is averaging 25.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from deep.
Some of L.A.’s struggles have been compounded by injuries to D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura. However, that’s not much of an excuse for falling to five-win teams such as the Spurs.
The Lakers could use some upgrades around the 39-year-old James, who is aiming to win his fifth NBA title before he retires in the near future, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves.
The Purple and Gold have been linked to the likes of Atlanta Hawks star Dejounte Murray and Chicago Bulls veteran Zach LaVine this winter, though it’s unclear if they’ll swing a deal for either player.
With the Feb. 8 trade deadline looming, it’ll be interesting to see how the Lakers address their struggles.
