LeBron James hints he might not stay with LA Lakers beyond current season
LeBron James seemed to vent his frustration at not having a competitive roster around him after the LA Lakers succumbed to a 112-98 blowout loss against the Miami Heat. It was the team's fifth loss in six games, dropping them to seven games behind the .500 mark.
James has been in terrific form over his last nine games, averaging 31.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game, shooting 55.1% from the field. However, the Lakers have registered a losing record during that stretch.
After the team's loss against the Heat, James hinted that he could leave the Lakers to compete for a championship if they fail to surround him with the right pieces. Here's what he said (via Lakers Daily):
"I wanna win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships. That's always been my passion...my goal. Once you get there and know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is just not in my DNA anymore."
LeBron: "I wanna win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships. That's always been my passion...my goal. Once you get there and know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is just not in my DNA anymore."
The LA Lakers have shown potential in spurts, but they don't have many reliable role players. That glaring weakness is getting even more highlighted in the absence of Anthony Davis. Rival teams have done a much better job surrounding their superstars with good depth, but that isn't the case with the Lakers.
Rob Pelinka said on Media Day a few months ago that the team would look to improve their roster after LeBron James committed to the franchise by signing a two-year contract in the offseason.
However, the front office hasn't made any moves yet. James' latest comments suggest there could be tension between the team's superstar and the management.
LeBron James putting pressure on the front office as trade deadline approaches
Despite the LA Lakers front office's poor performance over the last two seasons, LeBron James has shown tremendous commitment to the franchise. But he seems to have run out of patience. His comments after the Lakers' past two losses have hinted at his dissatisfaction with how Rob Pelinka and Co. have treated the team's current situation.
"How many times are you going to dig yourself out until you have too much dirt on you?" said James after the Lakers' home loss against the Hornets.
The Lakers haven't touched the .500 mark in almost a year. They don't have a competitive roster to win games without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The extra workload during the regular season is hampering their ability to stay healthy, which impacts the team's results.
If the Lakers fail to come close to the .500 mark at the midway point of the season, they could be staring at the possibility of missing out on the play-in tournament, let alone the playoffs for a second-straight year, despite having one of the best duos in the league.