LeBron James has been the face of the NBA for decades. Having a platform that big has given him opportunities to say some truly controversial things and get away with them.
However, that has always been because his team has been extremely successful, making no reason to knock down his statement. Currently, the Lakers are Awful and that has made the high pedestal he has been standing on extremely wobbly.
Ryan Ward, a reporter for the Lakers states that LeBron James blames the fact that he is not accustomed to the heavy toll of injuries and COVID protocols. Indirectly finding a scapegoat for the Lakers consistently being bad.
LeBron says he hasn't been part of a season like this where injuries have taken such a toll along with COVID protocols on top of that.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 7, 2022
Here’s why LeBron James is wrong
All this seems completely redundant as the Los Angeles Lakers do not have it as bad as many other teams in the league. The Los Angeles Clippers, have been missing their main two All-NBA level players for nearly the entirety of the season. A team that has severely been crippled to injuries has still had a comparable record to the Lakers.
In fact, in their most recent matchup, the Clippers came out on top. Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr. outplayed Westbrook and AD as a duo. Reggie Jackson not only scored the dagger to win the game but also to shun the ridiculous statement made by LeBron.
The Denver Nuggets is another Western Conference example. They’re missing 2 starters, one all-star, and one future all-star. Yet just on the efforts of one man, Nikola Jokic, they currently have a guaranteed playoff spot. Other players like Bryn Forbes, Jeff Green, and Monte Morris have stepped up under the pressure. They have 3 wins more than the Lakers as well.
The problem for the Lakers is not injuries and COVID but more on the sense of accountability and responsibility. Nobody wants to call out the players struggling and the reason the Lakers are a dumpster fire of a team.
This has not painted LeBron in a good picture as a leader. Since winning the NBA title, the Lakers have looked nothing like a contender. And if they want to fix that, LeBron needs to stop making irrelevant statements and start assigning blame on himself and his team.