In a recent interview, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant says the expectations LA fans have may have surprised LeBron James.
Going into the 2018-2019 season, fairly high expectations were naturally placed on the Los Angeles Lakers. It made practical sense on the grounds that the team signed LeBron James to a four-year deal last summer.
James had made eight consecutive NBA Finals appearances. The Lakers, despite their lack of recent success in that department, had obviously been there numerous times as well. The stage was well set in Hollywood for the purple and gold to make some noise.
Granted the stage looked pretty, to begin with, the show itself was largely a disaster this season. The Lakers did not live up to the hype.
While not everyone believed they would contend for a championship this season, many thought a postseason berth was in the cards. Alas, that wish never came true, either.
Certainly, factors like poor health played a role in the Lakers’ fortunes this season. That is undeniable, as James was one of the culprits among many in that regard.
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Even supposing the injuries, it is still fair to think the Lakers could have put together a stronger campaign. They should have been able to have more wins than losses, even if it meant the postseason was not happening.
Sure, when it is phrased like that, it sounds like an easier said than done thing. The fact of the matter is that this is how Los Angeles is. Given their rich history, fans expect the team to produce results. That is the bottom line once the sun goes down.
According to Kobe Bryant, this factor alone may have contributed to the Lakers’ woes this season. Because of the incredible expectations, he thinks this could have put a toll on James’ mind.
Via Chris Guest of ClutchPoints (originally per SiriusXM NBA Radio), Bryant explained the pressure one receives when they are a franchise player on the Lakers. He understands it as well as anyone since he was a Laker for two decades.
Bryant recalls what it felt like, especially when the Lakers had down years during his own career. Fans would be quite upset when he could not carry the purple and gold to the championship.
"“L.A. is like ‘It’s your fault. Figure it out. We don’t need to hear that. We need a championship. The buck stops with you. Figure it out.’”"
In the minds of some, this may seem like a ridiculous statement on the part of Bryant. With this being LeBron’s first season in LA, some degree of adversity in the transition was bound to occur.
Nevertheless, Los Angeles supporters are not the type that accepts excuses. It is what it is.
Bryant, who is easily regarded as one the best Lakers ever, made it to the Finals seven times. During his 20 seasons of service to the Lakers, Kobe helped the team raise five banners.
That being said, his own success has only elevated the standards of purple and gold lovers. They are used to winning and are sick and tired of not making it anywhere.
While Bryant’s theory is just that… a theory… it is an interesting one. Granted it is perceptible that James put up his numbers this season, The King did not always play with a sense of urgency.
Thus, perhaps this was Bryant’s way of saying that LeBron needs to understand what he got himself into. The expectations of the LA market will never evaporate. This coming fall the expectations will continue to be great and James will be expected to deliver.