LeBron James has spent more years of his life in the NBA than out of it, so when he sees a team playing bad basketball, he can tell — especially when that team is his.
“We suck right now,” he said in an increasingly familiar dejected manner after Friday night’s 127-113 loss at home to the Memphis Grizzlies. “I have to show up and punch my card, stay positive and try and lead and inspire on the floor,” he said when asked about what he needs to do to get the team back on track.
The Los Angeles Lakers have already lifted a banner this season after beating the Pacers on Dec. 9 to win the inaugural NBA in-season tournament in Las Vegas.
Since that 123-109 victory, the Lakers have two different four-game losing streaks and are 3-10 overall, with two wins coming against league bottom-dwellers in the Spurs and Hornets.
“Everyone keeps bringing up Vegas, but it was just two games,” James said. “We took care of that business, but it was literally just two games.”
Now two games under .500 and a half-game behind Golden State for the 10th seed and final play-in spot in the Western Conference standings, the Lakers would miss the postseason entirely if the season ended today.
Unsurprisingly, questions have started to swirl around the NBA about head coach Darvin Ham’s job security after this disastrous stretch. Ham, however, told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin before Friday’s loss that he’s not worried about it.
“My governor, Jeanie Buss, the boss lady; our president, Robert Pelinka — we’re all aligned,” Ham said. “As long as they’re not saying it, I guess I’m good. Which I know how they feel about me and the situation we’re currently in.”
Ham may still feel safe for now, but he likely won’t for long if he and the Lakers don’t start to stack wins soon. James and fellow star Anthony Davis are certainly closer to the end of their careers than the beginning, and every season for them is championship or bust.
If Ham doesn’t right the ship quickly, James and the Lakers will find someone they think can.
