Tuesday night was the night many had been waiting for, as Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
However, James has made it clear that his main focus is winning another championship, and he has reiterated that even at age 38, he can bring at least one more Larry O’Brien Trophy to his team.
LeBron says he can help any franchise win multiple championships even at this age.
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) February 8, 2023
The four-time MVP was able to land the Lakers their 17th NBA championship in the 2019-20 season, which was his second season with them. But since then, they have seemingly been stuck in the mud.
Injuries to both James and Anthony Davis torpedoed their title defense in the 2020-21 season while helping cost them a play-in tournament appearance last season. This season, they have remained a stone’s throw away from the Western Conference playoff race, but they have been unable to gain ground lately.
James’ accomplishment on Tuesday was somewhat shaded by the fact that Los Angeles lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 133-130. It was the team’s second loss in a row, and in both of those losses, it has given up more than 130 points.
The NBA trade deadline is at 3 p.m. EST on Thursday, and there have been a boatload of rumors for months as far as what the Lakers may do in an attempt to improve their roster. They already traded for forward Rui Hachimura, but it has been clear ever since that only one deal will not be enough to guarantee them a playoff spot, let alone allow them to make some noise in the postseason.
James owns four championship rings, but he has also lost six times in the NBA Finals. It is a record that stacks up poorly against some of the league’s other all-time greats, and it also serves as ammunition for his haters.
He has two years left on his Lakers contract after the conclusion of this season, and he holds a player option for the 2024-25 campaign. As time goes on, his chances of getting another ring seem to diminish even more.
