In the Lakers' home defeat to the Raptors on March 14, James' rescue in the game caused a hot discussion in the Internet. At that time, James jumped up in the air, protected the ball with both hands, and viciously pointed the ball at the rookie Barnes lying on the floor, and deliberately increased the strength of the return ball by playing back James's counterattack.
The Raptors rookie after the game mentioned in an interview that when he saw James hit the ball back hard, he subconsciously covered his face with his hands while the ten thousand horses in his heart galloped on the prairie and exploded. When the game was over, Barnes approached James to explain the situation on the court, and he could fully embellish himself with beautiful rhetoric, but James's reply was very heartfelt, and the rookie was not qualified to talk about it.
As soon as this statement came out, it caused an uproar, as the only superstar in NBA history to break 30,000 assists and rebounds in his career. Treating his juniors so coldly, without the slightest sense of relief, the operation is simply powdered, and his recent successive excesses have seriously affected the normal play of the team.
Earlier, former NBA player Jason Williams made a statement on Twitter, he selected the best team in lakers history is Chamberlain, O'Neal, James, Magic and Jabbar, this list does not mention the former Lakers star Kobe Bryant, which was criticized by many netizens.
Subsequently, he made the amazing decision to admit his mistakes, not to deny Kobe Bryant's strength, but only to refer to recent games to draw conclusions. Williams did anger Kobe's fans, and he also fought the so-called keyboard man on the Internet, under the pressure of public opinion, chose to apologize. He removed James from the top five-man spot in team history and replaced him with Kobe Bryant.
This season's Westbrook averaged 17.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7 assists per game in 34 minutes, compared with 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists in 2021, the decline in competitive status was too serious, and the average triple-double king per game that season was officially transformed into Los Angeles's "refusal to shoot". Zombie jumper at the beginning of the season, big plane in the middle of the season, master of control at the end of the season, he chooses to assist his teammates even if the point guard has the opportunity.
According to US media reports: Westbrook and lakers management agreed that he would be traded at the end of the season. Given that Westbrook's contract expires in 2023, Pelinka is also actively promoting the deal, perhaps not too many teams are willing to extend an olive branch, and the Lakers management even gave away the first round draft picks for the 2027 and 2029 teams, intending to get rid of the garbage contract and complete the reinforcement through the rich salary space.
Up to now, the Lakers have achieved a record of 29 wins and 40 losses, ranking ninth in the West, and a wave of three consecutive defeats has been pocketed. The team's crisis is no longer the formation of two stations a day, Anthony Davis's comeback is far away, even his appearance can not make the team qualitative change. The team's rebounding struggle was not active, the players refused to defend the whole time, and Vogel's championship coaching title was immediately unstoppable.
The Lakers have long since retired from the final championship race this season, even if they get tickets to the playoffs through the playoffs against the top four teams in the West. On the one hand, there is no absolute advantage, on the other hand, the team's tacit understanding value is not enough, such a Lakers also have no advantage at all.