This is LeBron James’ sixth season with the Los Angeles Lakers, and while some might say his time with the Lakers wasn’t a complete success, it wasn’t a complete failure either.
In the 2019-20 season, when he joined forces with superstar Anthony Davis, he immediately led the team to win the NBA championship. After some questionable and downright poor personnel moves since a couple of bold trades last winter, the Lakers appear to have a championship-caliber roster again.
But since James arrived in Los Angeles in 2018, some have claimed that he did so not because he wanted to win more rings, but primarily because he wanted to focus on non-basketball activities. These critics pointed to his acting career and business ventures as evidence that he no longer cared enough about his primary craft.
After a 35-point, nine-assist performance in Friday’s 107-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, James hit back at those critics on social media.
LeBron calls out his doubters pic.twitter.com/jnkUquAohv
— Tragic Patek (@tragicpatek) November 19, 2023
If his haters need any proof that his competitive fire is still burning at a high enough temperature, they should look at how frustrated he was early last season when the Lakers were stagnant in the water below .500. Nothing was done outside. In fact, some viewed suggestions that he might retire last spring as a passive-aggressive tactic to force the Lakers to trade Kyrie Irving.
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