Was Lebron's Lakers stay a success?

[dhsilv2]

The Lakers were number #1 in the West prior to the shutdown. Also, under the same logic, wouldn't a team like the Clippers, with an injury-prone Kawhi & PG, or Philly, with Embiid, benefit just as much if not more? What about teams like the Bucks, Rockets, or Celtics?

It favored players who picked up a basketball over that break and kept in shape which was a mixed bag all throughout the league.

All players had the option to decline the NBA's invitation. In fact, the Lakers starting PG opted out. Why make the poor decision to opt in despite being out of shape? Discrediting guys who remained professional and ready doesn't appear to make sense.

The rules and laws in each city the players lived in were different which played a huge factor in this. Staying or not staying in shape under this context shouldn't be linked to professionalism what so ever! Even just practicing as a team could have been wildly different in terms of it's legality. Meanwhile, I think most of us assumed, and reasonably so, that much like the NCAA the NBA playoffs weren't going to happen.

This isn't about if it was fair or not btw. It's a matter of it was a product we as the fans should accept as a legit playoffs. We're all welcome to decide that, but I for one thought the whole process from the start was horribly done. And the product on the court was wildly inconsistent and below the league's normal standards.

[PedroFlu]

Btw, this is from the POV of the most successful franchise in the history of the League, and from one of the most successful players ever - arguably the one with most expectations.

[styLesdavis]

Mavs fan here.

Of course it was a success. It is friggin hard to win a championship in this league and i think that 90% of all franchises would accept several lottery years IF that would bring them a guaranteed title. The bubble championship was 100% legit but not more. The conditions applied to every team - it would make no sense to argue that the title was easier/ harder to get.

[life_saver]

I am pretty sure that almost every fanbase (especially Western conference teams) will consider a title, 1 WCF appearance, making playoffs 2 other times a success over a 6 year span.

[SK21209]

except there is. No travel. No distractions. Months off to rest (helps older Lebron and injury prone AD). No fans so less anxiety for those who aren't clutch. Half the players didn't want to be there.

The Lakers were number #1 in the West prior to the shutdown. Also, under the same logic, wouldn't a team like the Clippers, with an injury-prone Kawhi & PG, or Philly, with Embiid, benefit just as much if not more? What about teams like the Bucks, Rockets, or Celtics?

It favored players who picked up a basketball over that break and kept in shape which was a mixed bag all throughout the league.

So it favored players who…did their job as professional basketball players?

[dhsilv2]

The Lakers were number #1 in the West prior to the shutdown. Also, under the same logic, wouldn't a team like the Clippers, with an injury-prone Kawhi & PG, or Philly, with Embiid, benefit just as much if not more? What about teams like the Bucks, Rockets, or Celtics?

It favored players who picked up a basketball over that break and kept in shape which was a mixed bag all throughout the league.

So it favored players who…did their job as professional basketball players?

Man this stuff. The season was over and depending on where you were it could have been illegal to gather in groups to even play pickup. Everyone reasonably assumed the season was over before the NBA pulled this out of their butt. Guys do the same thing over the summer often, using the time to rest, recovery, and get their heads in the right place before they start their basketball prep. This is common with all athletics, not just basketball. You don't train the same way year round.

The league rushed this whole thing to make sure they didn't void their TV contract and not get their full pay.

It looked and was just like as if the league had decided to play the playoffs in November without telling teams ahead that they were doing that. It was just messy and poor basketball. Now that said...I'm down if they want to bring back day NBA games!

[KembaWalker]

more than Miami for sure. it helps when you don't make a fool of yourself publicly setting the expectation at 8 championships

[SK21209]

I’ll say the same thing I always do when the bubble asterisk nonsense comes up: tell me which team is beating the 2020 Lakers if we have a normal playoffs. The Clippers, whose best player has not made it through a single postseason healthy since then, had Doc **** Rivers as their coach and a pretty **** supporting cast in hindsight? Is it the Bucks, whom the Lakers just beat before the shutdown, didn’t have Holiday yet and got embarrassed by Miami in the bubble? The Nuggets, who didn’t have KCP or Gordon yet? The Celtics, who still had Kemba and whose only bigs were Theis and Kanter? The Raptors with no Kawhi? A very ordinary Miami team?

Please make a case for one of them beating the Lakers if the rest of the season played out normally. If you can’t, well then it doesn’t really make sense to discredit the bubble title if the Lakers were going to win anyway does it.

[TravisScott55]

You win a championship, your time with a team was a success.

[JustBuzzin]

Yes he delivered the championship.

If Jokic is in the GOAT conversation with 1 championship then LeBron should be considered a success for bringing the Lakers a championship. He went to that franchise when Swaggy P and Lance Stephenson were the face of the franchise lmao

[Lakers824]

Not a success or a failure. Its just been "meh". I thought we would get 2 titles with this Bron AD duo. One is better than nothingx but I don't think 1 title in 6 years, 4 of which we didn't win a single playoff series is what we were expecting when AD came to town.

[Mamba Mentality]

Knicks fans are losing their minds because they're about to win their first playoff series in 10 years, but we're questioning if Lebron bringing a championship to the LA was enough to deem his tenure a success? What are we doing?

[jokeboy86]

Yes for him because he lives in LA and gets to play for the premier franchise in the NBA which to me is all he probably really ever wanted.

From a basketball standpoint there was and still is absolutely no reason why Lebron chose to play with the Lakers with as incompetent as Jeannie Buss and Pelinka clearly are. There were and still are so many franchises that are currently better run than the Lakers but Lebron has been more patient then he’s ever been with a team simply because of the Lakers brand and the locale. The fact that he’s been with them for 6 years which is longer than his Miami run and his 2nd run in Cle but with far less success clearly shows it aint just about contending.

From the Lakers standpoint(Jeannie) its been a success because the Lakers unofficially have a creed: either contend/win titles or at least be relevant. Jeannie feels that even if Lebron never wins another title she’s eternally grateful to him(clearly) because she thinks his presence will keep them relevant.

Now I think she’s kind of delusional with this way of thinking because the Lakers are like the Cowboys/Yankees in that no matter what stars they do or dont have or regardless if they stink they will always be relevant locally and nationally. But obviously Jeannie is scared of that not being the case w/o stars or them contending.

[Doctor MJ]

Lebron went to the Lakers and joined a young talented roster with guys like Ball, Ingram, Hart, Kuzma, Caruso, KCP and Zubac. Had he just not been...well...Lebron, he could have been the leader, set the example and watched as these guys developed together into a championship caliber team. But nope, he put his G.M. hat on and cleaned house to bring in AD. And all they have to show for it after six years is one weak, meaningless bubble championship that nobody outside of LA respects. The Lakers has to be the worst stop of Lebron's career right? I know he didn't win a ring during his first CLE stint but he was almost universally loved then and even though it was the weakest Eastern Conference in NBA history, he was taking really average rosters on deep playoff runs. If Lebron could do it all over again, just based on basketball, do you think he'd still sign with the Lakers?

I can't take anyone seriously who talks about a "meaningless bubble championship". Literally teams cracked under the pressure of that situation like crazy leaving the most resilient teams to take, and then the same 4 teams were the final 4 last year once they were healthy (enough) again.

[reddyplayerone]

Did he even bring them a title? The bubble ring doesn't count.

How does that Haterade taste?

Even Lakers fans forgot about the bubble ring lol. It's the least talked about ring ever, no fanfare, no parade even. It is straight up meaningless.

Except it's talked about incessantly by people like you who want to continue to insist it doesn't count.

Probably cause your team couldn't even win the "bubble ring."

Dang, what does that say about how utterly futile your fav is?

Sucks to suck I suppose!

Hang in there I'm sure Houston will win something in this century. We still have another 76 years for them to pull it off so fingers crossed!

[LaLover11]

How does that Haterade taste?

Even Lakers fans forgot about the bubble ring lol. It's the least talked about ring ever, no fanfare, no parade even. It is straight up meaningless.

Except it's talked about incessantly by people like you who want to continue to insist it doesn't count.

Probably cause your team couldn't even win the "bubble ring."

Dang, what does that say about how utterly futile your fav is?

Sucks to suck I suppose!

Hang in there I'm sure Houston will win something in this century. We still have another 76 years for them to pull it off so fingers crossed!

Haha Got'em

[Doctor MJ]

I think it's helpful to look at playoff series wins to get a sense of the team accomplishment.

From '18-19 to '22-23, here are the top teams by playoff series wins (apologies if I miss a team):

Boston 8
Denver 8
Golden State 8
Miami 8
Milwaukee 8
Lakers 6
Phoenix 5
Toronto 5
Philadelphia 4
Clippers 3

Now we'll see how things play out this year, but it's hard for me to look at any of the teams with >4 series wins as anything other than a great success.

And then for comparison, we should compare:

Lakers in the previous 6 years before LeBron: 0 playoff wins

So yeah, for the Lakers, getting LeBron has been a big win even if it's considerably smaller than it would have been if LeBron hadn't thought acquiring Westbrook was a good idea.

Was it as successful as LeBron's earlier career? Of course not, but we're talking about an age range that most other guys are totally irrelevant.

[thebigbird]

Why do people consider his Lakers run a failure but have little to say about Kawhi’s Clippers stay? Because if anything’s a failure, it’s that.

Lebron won a title. Something a team like Boston has done once since 1986, and a team like the Knicks hasn’t done since 1973. If this was prime LeBron then sure, consider it a failure. But post-prime LeBron still delivered a title and another WCF appearance. 6x all-NBA selection with the Lakers. Real hard to consider that a failure.

[Bleed-Green]

Yes, I'd say it was a success. Lakers have been completely irrelevant since 2011. Without Lebron, Lakers don't go for AD, without AD they don't win the title.

[Ben-N1ce]

Just adds to the fact LeBron feasted on a weak East were no teams ever had even a couple of elite players on the roster except the Geriatric Celtics who made him super friend up in Miami. Plays in West with a top 10 player they are play in a couple times. They did beat a vastly inferior and injured Heat team though...