Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
LeBron’s Lakers equal Jordan’s Wizards
LeBron James’ signing with the Los Angeles Lakers was always more about building his media brand than his basketball brand, and his legacy on the court is taking a hit as a result of his decision.
The NBA’s marquee franchise has become a joke, or the basketball version of the Dallas Cowboys, because LeBron turned it into a toy rather than a team.
People now laugh at the Los Angeles Lakers, and the best player of his era.
HBO would be wise to produce a follow up series to its “Winning Time,” the show about the rise of the ’80s dynasty Lakers, and create some episodes on the LeBron years.
“Losing Time” would be just as entertaining, without all of those needless wins, as it would feature The King, as well as the always diverting Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo, in support roles.
The Lakers came to Dallas on Tuesday to play the Mavericks, and LeBron was nursing a bum ankle. He has played against Luka Doncic twice in the past two seasons, both in Los Angeles.
Because of Luka, the Mavericks are ascending toward the playoffs.
Because of LeBron, the Lakers are crashing towards missing the playoffs entirely. Entering Tuesday’s game, the Lakers were 31-43, and a finger nail ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for the 10th seed in the West, the last slot for the playin round.
LeBron and his buddy, super agent Rich Paul, essentially built this current roster of aging and/or injury-prone stars who comprise a mediocre team.
Nothing will ever take away from the fact that LBJ is one of the few players to ever live up to, and exceed, the type of excessive hype he received when he was in high school.
That he was called “The Chosen One” and “The Next Jordan,” and the fact that he actually did it will always be the least appreciated feat of his extensive collection of accomplishments.
Now nothing will take away from the fact that the end of his career also looks increasingly like his role model and mentor, Michael Jordan.
LeBron’s Lakers look sadly like Jordan’s Wizards.
After a three-year retirement period from the Chicago Bulls, Jordan un-retired in 2001 to play for/run the Washington Wizards.
Then-Wizards owner Abe Pollin was desperate to generate interest in his forgotten franchise, and Jordan Washington Wizards jerseys did that.
Jordan was already the team’s president of basketball operations, and busy lining up a roster that wasn’t good enough.
He came out of retirement, again. The Wizards finished 37-45 in both seasons he played with Washington, missing the playoffs both times.
Jordan was 38 and 39 in his time with the Wizards, and while he was no longer the best player in the NBA, he was still better than 90% of the players in the NBA. He averaged more than 20 points in each of his two Wizards seasons.
When LeBron left the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the L.A. Lakers, he was at a different point in his career than Jordan. For starters, he had not retired multiple times.
But LBJ had his eyes on other things, namely Hollywood.
While he was starring in movies, and making TV shows in a barber shop, nothing happened with the Lakers without his approval, and two of his four years in L.A. will end up with losing records.
LeBron’s legacy with the Lakers will be the NBA title he won that few watched, and even fewer remember. The Lakers won the 2020 Disney World Covid Bubble Title in a mostly empty gym that served as a production studio for ABC’s cameras.
LeBron is not in the final year of his career, as evidenced by his performance this season. He leads the league in scoring at 30.1 points per game.
He’s also made it clear he intends to play on the same NBA team as his 17-year-old son, Bronny.
As such, LeBron’s finale is incomplete.
LeBron has always said how much he looked up to Jordan when he was growing up, and how much of his game he emulated.
From NBA titles to global fame, to starring in another Space Jam, LeBron succeeded as “The Next Jordan” — right down to MJ’s forgettable final two years as a Wizard.