LeBron James’ Frustration Boils Over Into an Apology to Lakers Fans: ‘I Promise We’ll Be Better’

The Los Angeles Lakers fan base has become annoyingly accustomed to the team’s inconsistent play throughout the 2021-22 season. The current three-game skid has added to the ever-growing frustration and criticism. All that guided star forward LeBron James to air an apology to the fan base.

Lakers fall to another disappointing skid

After reeling off four straight wins, the Lakers have quickly headed south, dropping their last three contests.

Los Angeles suffered one of its worst losses of the season, falling to a 133-96 blowout road loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets controlled the tempo and pace of the contest behind their offensive outpour, shooting 57.5% from beyond the arc while recording 35 assists on 47 made field goals.

Denver led by as many as 42 points in the fourth quarter, while the Lakers finished with only three players in double-figure scoring led by LeBron James’ 25 points. The porous outing led Hall of Famer Magic Johnson to question the team’s effort.

The recent downturn has also guided James to address Lakers fans.

LeBron James’ frustration boils over into an apology to Lakers fans: ‘I promise we’ll be better’

The Lakers have hit another rough patch that has pushed them under the .500 mark yet again.

It’s led a few players such as Dwight Howard and Russell Westbrook to voice confidence that the team can turn it around. However, LeBron James was notably absent after Saturday’s loss as he elected not to speak to the media.

James broke his silence by taking to Twitter on Sunday to apologize to Lakers fans for the team’s porous play.

“#LakerNation I apologize and I promise we’ll be better!” said James wrote.

Los Angeles has struggled to find any consistency due to various factors from injuries and COVID-related issues. Much of the recent problems have stemmed from their defensive shortcomings, allowing at least 125 points one each of their last three straight losses, including giving up more than 110 points in the previous five consecutive contests.

James’ play has been a bright spot through these issues, ranking second in the league behind Brooklyn Nets’ star Kevin Durant with 28.9 points per contest. He leads the NBA with 19 games with 30 or more points while posting 11 double-doubles with three triple-doubles. He also became the oldest player to record seven straight 30-point outings.

Outside of James’ production, the Lakers have struggled to find any rhythm, leading to heavy-handed criticism directed toward Russell Westbrook’s inconsistent performance. The 17-time All-Star has publicly come to Westbrook’s defense multiple times, but the team’s continued struggles haven’t ceased the outpouring of chatter.

If anything, James’ underlines how dire the situation has become.

The clock is ticking on the Lakers to figure it out

The Lakers have dealt with a multitude of obstacles, but the focus remains on reaching the playoffs.

Any aspirations for catching either the Golden State Warriors or Phoenix Suns for one of the top two playoff spots sits as an unrealistic goal. The Memphis Grizzlies’ red-hot stretch of winning 11 straight games has given them a grapple hold over the fourth seed, as Los Angeles trails by 8.0 games.

The Lakers’ three-game skid has pushed them down to the eighth seed, directly into the play-in portion of the Western Conference playoff picture. Los Angeles still has 39 regular-season games remaining, which is more than enough time to find traction and define their identity.

The front office may spice things up with a move or buyout addition around next month’s trade deadline. Anthony Davis is also expected to return in the next couple of weeks, potentially during the team’s upcoming annual “Grammy” road trip later this month.

LeBron James knows the clock is ticking on his team, and he appears ready for the challenge ahead.

Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @sportscasting19.

RELATED: LeBron James Is Stubbornly Ignoring the Huge Concerns Surrounding Russell Westbrook’s Lakers Fit

The post LeBron James’ Frustration Boils Over Into an Apology to Lakers Fans: ‘I Promise We’ll Be Better’ appeared first on Sportscasting | Pure Sports.

-----------------------

By: Bob Garcia IV
Title: LeBron James’ Frustration Boils Over Into an Apology to Lakers Fans: ‘I Promise We’ll Be Better’
Sourced From: www.sportscasting.com/lebron-james-frustration-boils-over-apology-lakers-fans-i-promise-well-be-better/
Published Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2022 20:20:21 +0000