After leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a historic NBA championship and then quitting on them in free agency, LeBron James has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players ever. Despite losing two finals appearances with Cleveland, he’s still well liked because of how hard he plays every night.
LeBron James’ Lakers have been a disaster this season. The team has won just nine games and is currently in last place in the Western Conference. Despite all of these struggles, LeBron James has still managed to put up respectable numbers. In fact, he’s averaging 25 points per game on 50% shooting from the field.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have been the brunt of every joke since they were eliminated from the playoffs. With so many Hall of Famers on their roster, they had championship aspirations at the outset of the year. Instead, they became one of the worst basketball teams in the league.
One of the greatest regrets of James’ amazing career has to be not having an opportunity to fight for a postseason place in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
However, it also demonstrates his magnificence.
The King’s recent misfortune exemplifies why he is often regarded as the greatest player of all time.
LeBron James’ humiliating loss demonstrates his brilliance.
On March 21, 2022, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers poses before a game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. | Getty Images/Jason Miller
This will be just the fourth time in LeBron James’ career that he has missed the playoffs. It is, however, the second time in the previous four seasons that this has happened. During his debut season with the Lakers in 2018-19, he came up short.
However, James will miss the NBA Finals this year due to his failure to make the playoffs. After losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, the Lakers will miss the Finals for the second consecutive season.
That is what establishes his brilliance.
What’s going on here? Is it because of James’ inability to reach the Finals why he is such a brilliant player?
Not quite, but it’s true: for the first time since 2008-09 and 2009-10, James will miss the Finals in consecutive seasons (h/t Reddit).
So it’s been almost a decade since James hasn’t been in the NBA Finals for two years in a row. He was just 25 years old at the time and still in the midst of his first tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Between 2010-11 and 2017-18, James appeared in eight consecutive NBA Finals with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2020, the four-time champion reached the Finals for the ninth time in ten years, this time with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Do you want to know how long it’s been since this last happened? That year, the Lakers won the title thanks to the late great Kobe Bryant, and Tyreke Evans was named Rookie of the Year. Although TiK ToK was not a social media platform, it was the number one single on the Billboard charts (yep, Ke$ha’s bop). Scrubs, a popular television show, has recently finished its last season.
LeBron James is one of the best playoff players in NBA history.
Haters of LeBron James will point to the fact that he hasn’t made the Finals in the previous two years or that he is 4-6 in his last ten appearances as reasons why he isn’t the GOAT.
And it’s possible he’s not the GOAT. I’m always flip-flopping on the debate. If you ask me tomorrow, I may award him the title, but if you ask me next week, I’ll probably say Michael Jordan.
His incredible trips to the Finals (whether or not they resulted in championships) should assist, not hamper, his cause.
With ten outings, LeBron is tied for third all-time in most appearances. Only Bill Russell (12) and Sam Jones are ahead of him (11). With 1,562 overall Finals points, James is second all-time in Finals scoring, while he leads all playoff scorers with 7,631 lifetime postseason points. He’s also second in career playoff assists (1,919), first in playoff steals (454), and sixth in postseason rebounds (2,391).
He also doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Despite the Lakers’ poor performance, James had one of his best seasons, averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists at the age of 37.
Although LeBron James will miss the playoffs this season, he has already shown his excellence throughout his career. For a decade, he appeared in the NBA Finals virtually every season and won four championships during that time.
This recent setback just serves to emphasize how amazing The King has been throughout his career.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
RELATED: Stephen A. Smith Eviscerates LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers Organization
LeBron James is a basketball player who has been playing in the NBA for over 20 years. He has won 3 Championships and been named to 9 All-Star games. His career has been great, but his Lakers team’s performance this season has not been so great. Reference: los angeles lakers record.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did LeBron James struggle?
A: LeBron James struggled in the 2018 NBA Finals because he was unable to hit shots.
Why LeBron is not the best of all time?
A: LeBron James is an exceptional basketball player. But hes not the best in all of history, because there is no such thing as the best player ever.
Why did LeBron miss last game?
A: LeBron James was injured in the last game. He seemed to be okay after the game, but he didnt play in todays practice.
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