Thoughts on Lebrons tenure with Lakers

Lalouie · Post #101 » by **Lalouie** » Wed May 24, 2023 7:51 pm

if the sole criteria was to get the lakers a ring,,,he did that

but haters like me would be quick to point out the fated circumstances behind getting the ring

if it was to get the lakers out of the hole they were in,,,,yes and no. one could posit that any number of superstars could have done what lebron did

dc · Post #102 » by dc » Wed May 24, 2023 8:02 pm

durden_tyler wrote:LeBron James is one of the greatest players of all time, he could have gone to a team like the Hornets and he would have found a way to lure in the free agents, turn them into contenders and potentially win a ring or two. That kind of tenure would have been more impressive.

I think it was pretty clear when he signed in LA that he felt his legacy as a player was secure and any other basketball accomplishments were just gravy.

He went to LA to setup his post playing career and also seemed set on seeing his kids through HS in the same place. It's why he gave a long term commitment to the Lakers that he seemingly never gave to any other team he's been on.

PedroFlu · Post #103 » by **PedroFlu** » Wed May 24, 2023 8:03 pm

NCHeels2008 wrote:
PedroFlu wrote:To discredit the ring in the bubble is plain stupidity/trolling/bad faith. Lakers were the goddamn best team and all teams faced the same conditions.

Having said that, I think it was a bit underwhelming for the Lakers. Team was in shambles in 3 of the 5 seasons, because of injuries, drama, poor fit or whatever. Even 2021 it was clear the team didnt mesh well.

I expected at least 1 title and contending the other seasons.

For LeBron, it was positive, since he won a title that really adds to his legacy (25% of all hos titles is always a great deal). Individually it cemented the greatest longevity ever, but also failled countless times to close games. Basically enhanced the qualities and faults we already knew.

Drummond signing ruined the chemistry with Marc Gasol which was dumb, Marc was a fun addition on that 21 team. I'd argue with a proper off-seasons rest the '21 team was better than the '20 team.

I disagree.. even vs Phoenix I dont think that full team looked like a championship team. Gasol was a shell of himself, couldnt protect the him.. Schroder didnt mesh well as a starter, and Vogel refused to bench him.. Harrell was terrible. They had lost Howard, who was an integral part of their success.

That team might have made the Finals, but I doubt they'd beat the Bucks.

PedroFlu · Post #104 » by **PedroFlu** » Wed May 24, 2023 8:13 pm

NO-KG-AI wrote:Successful, but highly frustrating roller coaster ride. It doesn't feel like the fans have ever really connected or become endeared with LeBron/AD. I can't speak for them, but it doesn't feel like they are or are embraced as actual Lakers. Sports are always a business, but it feels very transactional for both sides, as in, the fans accept them because it gives them the best chance, and same for the top guys there. Idk, it''s weird.

Great definition. A successful roller coaster with many frustrating moments.

Regarding the connection, the fact they won in the bubble really **** the connection they'd have with fans - specially when it was just after Kobe's death, and that turned off many hardcore fans.

Having said that, I think at this point, 5 yrs in, lots of fans consider them true Lakers and not simple mercenaries or ring chasers. The fact LeBron achieved the all time scoring title for them made that connection special imo. I think many fans who hated him have changed.

I think at this point they are fully ingrained in Lakers lore - apart from some hardcore/more traditional fans and haters.

dcstanley · Post #105 » by **dcstanley** » Wed May 24, 2023 8:22 pm

Loaded_Hollows wrote:Failure. Only 1 ring (and a fraudulent one at that), despite having stacked and talented superteams. Almost as bad as his Miami tenure.

When's the last time your knicks won a ring? (or a fraudulent one at that)

No team with only two all-stars with one being in their late 30s is a stacked superteam.

Noodlesoop · Post #106 » by **Noodlesoop** » Wed May 24, 2023 8:36 pm

Kobeshow wrote:
Sedale Threatt wrote:Mixed. Championships are championships. No matter how much some people want to downplay that.

Except 2020 really wasn't an NBA Championship...

That actually requires a team to win in hostile environments on the road travelling a lot...

We all know the 2019-2020 NBA season should have been cancelled because of the worst worldwide pandemic of the last century...

The NBA couldn't afford it because of TV contracts with ESPN and TNT and the HUGE amount of money that would have been lost by cancelling the season for good

So they created this comical "bubble" in Disney World (guess what, Disney actually OWNS ESPN) because of money, not because it was actually a real NBA season/playoffs

Are you a Kobe stan and not a lakers or Lebron fan?

KyRo23 · Post #107 » by **KyRo23** » Wed May 24, 2023 8:37 pm

dcstanley wrote:
Loaded_Hollows wrote:Failure. Only 1 ring (and a fraudulent one at that), despite having stacked and talented superteams. Almost as bad as his Miami tenure.

When's the last time your knicks won a ring? (or a fraudulent one at that)

No team with only two all-stars with one being in their late 30s is a stacked superteam.

You can be sure that if NY won the bubble ring, this guy would see it as legit.

Kobeshow · Post #108 » by **Kobeshow** » Wed May 24, 2023 10:26 pm

Noodlesoop wrote:
Kobeshow wrote:
Sedale Threatt wrote:Mixed. Championships are championships. No matter how much some people want to downplay that.

Except 2020 really wasn't an NBA Championship...

That actually requires a team to win in hostile environments on the road travelling a lot...

We all know the 2019-2020 NBA season should have been cancelled because of the worst worldwide pandemic of the last century...

The NBA couldn't afford it because of TV contracts with ESPN and TNT and the HUGE amount of money that would have been lost by cancelling the season for good

So they created this comical "bubble" in Disney World (guess what, Disney actually OWNS ESPN) because of money, not because it was actually a real NBA season/playoffs

Are you a Kobe stan and not a lakers or Lebron fan?

Nothing I wrote relates to the Lakers, LeBron or Kobe...

Those are just facts: The Clippers could have won that title, the same facts would apply...

It was a pure financial decision by the league, that doesn't make it real NBA basketball

Post #109 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Wed May 24, 2023 10:28 pm

Kobeshow wrote:
Noodlesoop wrote:
Kobeshow wrote:
Except 2020 really wasn't an NBA Championship...

That actually requires a team to win in hostile environments on the road travelling a lot...

We all know the 2019-2020 NBA season should have been cancelled because of the worst worldwide pandemic of the last century...

The NBA couldn't afford it because of TV contracts with ESPN and TNT and the HUGE amount of money that would have been lost by cancelling the season for good

So they created this comical "bubble" in Disney World (guess what, Disney actually OWNS ESPN) because of money, not because it was actually a real NBA season/playoffs

Are you a Kobe stan and not a lakers or Lebron fan?

Nothing I wrote relates to the Lakers, LeBron or Kobe...

Those are just facts: The Clippers could have won that title, the same facts would apply...

It was a pure financial decision by the league, that doesn't make it real NBA basketball

Everything the league does is based on financial decisions. It’s always been that way. The league wasn’t created to hold up basketball purity. It was made to generate money.

Kobeshow · Post #110 » by **Kobeshow** » Wed May 24, 2023 10:34 pm

NO-KG-AI wrote:
Kobeshow wrote:
Noodlesoop wrote:
Are you a Kobe stan and not a lakers or Lebron fan?

Nothing I wrote relates to the Lakers, LeBron or Kobe...

Those are just facts: The Clippers could have won that title, the same facts would apply...

It was a pure financial decision by the league, that doesn't make it real NBA basketball

Everything the league does is based on financial decisions. It’s always been that way. The league wasn’t created to hold up basketball purity. It was made to generate money.

Ok, let me put this way. That decision was 99% money and 1% basketball

They were literally DESPERATE to save the season and make broadcasters honor their contracts despite the pandemic

The whole bubble thing was a logistic nightmare that wouldn't have made sense otherwise

metalinguss · Post #111 » by **metalinguss** » Wed May 24, 2023 11:54 pm

ryguy613 wrote:
metalinguss wrote:
Potential wrote:Winning a championship in the later half of his career with the Lakers franchise is something I never thought would've ever happened. They easily go back to back if AD didn't go down against the Suns with the 2-1 lead.

They would have lost to the clips if Kawhi was healthy too since we’re playing what ifs anyway

Kawhi was healthy in the bubble. If the clippers wants to beat the Lakers they couldve had their chance... if they didnt blow a 3-1 lead to the nuggets. Cant use the health excuse, sorry.

Can’t use the health excuse for the Clippers but you can for the Lakers? Doesn’t matter anyway, Bucks would have still won it all in 2021.

Edrees · Post #112 » by **Edrees** » Thu May 25, 2023 12:06 am

metalinguss wrote:
ryguy613 wrote:
metalinguss wrote:
They would have lost to the clips if Kawhi was healthy too since we’re playing what ifs anyway

Kawhi was healthy in the bubble. If the clippers wants to beat the Lakers they couldve had their chance... if they didnt blow a 3-1 lead to the nuggets. Cant use the health excuse, sorry.

Can’t use the health excuse for the Clippers but you can for the Lakers? Doesn’t matter anyway, Bucks would have still won it all in 2021.

Lol, there's no health excuse because Kawhi was healthy and playing. AD actually missed games. There were no reports or any narrative that Kawhi was injured when he choked that 3-1 lead to Denver dude. You completely fabricated that up.

John Murdoch · Post #113 » by **John Murdoch** » Thu May 25, 2023 12:10 am

Context matters...2021 he was on track for another finals appearance before AD **** the bed

Post #114 » by **og15** » Thu May 25, 2023 12:11 am

SunsLyf3 wrote:By his standard and Lakers standard it was below expectations.

This is a franchise that is used to getting multiple rings and even three-peats from their stars. Went from being top of the food chain to just another one in the bunch, except for the bubble ring. The Bron fans will argue that he had nothing to prove and blah but he still underperformed based on what we're used to seeing from him. It was no secret that the move was more to establish those Hollywood connections though and he did a great job at that.

They usually sign their stars in their prime, not at 34, these things didn't happen in a vacuum.

Post #115 » by **og15** » Thu May 25, 2023 12:15 am

John Murdoch wrote:Context matters...2021 he was on track for another finals appearance before AD **** the bed

They were 7th in the WC in 2021 with constant injury all season long, they weren't on track for another finals appearance unless you just erase the reality of injuries for injury prone and older players.

They were 7th specifically because they had such an injury prone/older star team. They played another team with an injury prone guy who was mostly useless offensively with literally a limp dominant arm for 90% of the series and still lost because they couldn't weather the storm while Phoenix did.

Archerbro · Post #116 » by **Archerbro** » Thu May 25, 2023 12:24 am

Slim Charlez wrote:
Ni Da Ye wrote:He was lucky that he got a Disney ring.

That championship was literally the weakest of all time, even worse than 2015 Warriors'.

Can't believe people are still pushing that ridiculously stupid narrative especially after this season. I **** hate the Lakers and think that argument is among the stupidest conversations in the history of basketball.

It was a bubble everybody knows it. I wouldn't negate it as much as saying it was weak though

Loaded_Hollows · Post #117 » by **Loaded_Hollows** » Thu May 25, 2023 12:26 am

dcstanley wrote:
Loaded_Hollows wrote:Failure. Only 1 ring (and a fraudulent one at that), despite having stacked and talented superteams. Almost as bad as his Miami tenure.

When's the last time your knicks won a ring? (or a fraudulent one at that)

No team with only two all-stars with one being in their late 30s is a stacked superteam.

Whataboutism is never a good defense lol. LeBum cheated the league for many years. He needs to retire. Good riddance to bad garbage.

Archerbro · Post #118 » by **Archerbro** » Thu May 25, 2023 12:27 am

infinite11285 wrote:
whatisacenter wrote:
MoneyMo wrote:Are you sure?

Spoiler:

It kinda blends in with their other titles. If you look at the list of Champions, their name is among them

It's my opinion and I'm sure.

infinite11285 wrote:
Do explain.

The NBA found a way to have the playoffs in 2020 mostly due to financial interests but it was after the season had been suspended for months.

Yes, all the teams played, or were supposed to, on a level playing field but the odd circumstances of the delay, no travel, no hostile fans and adding in the Covid pandemic, it just didn't land like every other championship, IMO. I have been a basketball junkie for 40 years and have watched every finals along the way except one....I tried but just didn't care about basketball.

So because you didn't care about basketball, they didn't actually win the championship?

They won the bubble tournament. They were bubble champions.

Ito · Post #119 » by **Ito** » Thu May 25, 2023 12:58 am

Besides the 2 missed playoffs and first round lost it’s been pretty lebronish

metalinguss · Post #120 » by **metalinguss** » Thu May 25, 2023 2:11 am

Edrees wrote:
metalinguss wrote:
ryguy613 wrote:
Kawhi was healthy in the bubble. If the clippers wants to beat the Lakers they couldve had their chance... if they didnt blow a 3-1 lead to the nuggets. Cant use the health excuse, sorry.

Can’t use the health excuse for the Clippers but you can for the Lakers? Doesn’t matter anyway, Bucks would have still won it all in 2021.

Lol, there's no health excuse because Kawhi was healthy and playing. AD actually missed games. There were no reports or any narrative that Kawhi was injured when he choked that 3-1 lead to Denver dude. You completely fabricated that up.

Bro, we're talking about 2021. The guys I quoted said "They'd easily repeat".

Thoughts on Lebrons tenure with the lakers?