No free pass for Lebron

[scrabbarista]

Jordan was doing very well until he got injured. thats what people either ignore or don't know/understand.

LOL. Your definition of Jordan doing “very well” at LeBron’s age would be an absolutely horrendous season for LeBron. If LeBron played the way Jordan did in the last two season of his career, people on here would be clowning him and saying this old bum needs to retire. But when it’s Jordan… the man could’ve stepped on the court and taken a dump at center court and people like you would be drooling all over him.

Yeah, he did do very well all things considered. Rings a bell, but I forgot the injury OdomFan mentions, yet still played all 82 at 37mpg — which would’ve been 2nd in the league this season (0.5 behind Luka). Had .409 shooting Jerry Stackhouse as his best help, not one of the best two-way bigs in the league. But that’s not this thread. As noted, I have no desire to pile on a player obviously way past their prime.

For clarification, Jordan turned 39 on Feb 17th of his second-to-last season, in which he only played 60 games due to an injury that effectively cost him the last 27 games of the season. James turned 39 on December 30th of this season.

So, Jordan's "38" season and James' "39" season are only seven weeks apart in age, making Jordan's "39" season and James "39" season 45 weeks apart in age.

In other words, OdomFan was referring to Jordan's penultimate season, not his final season.

[KyRo23]

Zzzzzzs


And I do t really like Lebron…but for **** sake.

Zzzzzzz

Boring, right? I’m a LeBron fan and I don’t even want him to get praise, because this is the other side of the coin

[druggas]

He doesn't get any pass. If you name yourself the "chosen one" and always pick your teams,then when you fail you have to accept the ridicule that you help create!

[KembaWalker]

LeBron fans will pivot over the course of literally 30 minutes real time from "he's still the best player in the game! this is why hes the GOAT!" to "lol you guys are clowns for having expectations on him like this, he's 39 years old"

i'm pretty sure the only people enjoying "gravy" from this phase of LeBrons career are his internet stans that get to pivot their positions every quarter, bait criticism for him from normal basketball watchers with low expectations for him and then condescend and hide behind his age when they get called out for it later in the ensuing inevitable disappointment. cause the man himself is clearly pretty miserable on the floor

[bledredwine]

This is part of the reason that I find sports forums entertaining. Everything is sensationalized in the moment. Lebron was in GOAT contention, now its Jokic in GOAT contention, Lebron's unreal because he won, Lebron's garbage because he lost.

But the backlash is mostly caused by the "front lash"
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

How about, Lebron is one of the all time greats and has been struggling against Jokic in old age? Seems fair.

By the way, if you think this is bad, you should see the boxing forums.

[UcanUwill]

LeBron fans will pivot over the course of literally 30 minutes real time from "he's still the best player in the game! this is why hes the GOAT!" to "lol you guys are clowns for having expectations on him like this, he's 39 years old"

i'm pretty sure the only people enjoying "gravy" from this phase of LeBrons career are his internet stans that get to pivot their positions every quarter, bait criticism for him from normal basketball watchers with low expectations for him and then condescend and hide behind his age when they get called out for it later in the ensuing inevitable disappointment. cause the man himself is clearly pretty miserable on the floor

I haven't seen anyone call LeBron as still best player in the world... in years now.

[shi-woo]

I love how people are spinning this as LeBron is old, and not what really happened, which was LeBron got mad at DLo and quit on the team once Denver turned it up.

Getting old and not trying are two different things, and Kobe showed us how you do both. LeBron last night was more Kobe v Suns in 05-07 than he was Kobe in 2012 against the Thunder.

Sayin someone is old is one thing, giving them a pass for sitting on the bench and pouting for an entire quarter is not. LeBron might not owe it to us, but he owes it to the players and coaches on the team who also worked hard all year.

I wasn't expecting him to come out in the 4th like he did against Det in 07 or Bos in 12, but damn bro, I expected him to at least do what Jokic was doing in the 1st half and trying to make the right pass/get others going.

Dude just mailed it in, and idk why his fans are getting so mad that some of us are calling it out for what it is.

It's not always about the LeBron show, the other guys deserve that respect too, and LeBron disrespected his team last night

[Memories]

Also the people that keep regurgitating the whole "he's 39 years old" arguement;

When he is still getting paid like a player in their prime, and wants to continue to get paid as a top 3 player in the league (the rumored $60 mill per year for 2 or 3 years), then his age is irrelevant.

[UcanUwill]

Lebron is 39 lol.

Of course You can’t have it both ways. You can’t stroke Lebron when he has a nice game or breaks some cumulative stats record and then let him off of the hook when he stinks it up in the playoffs by reminding people he’s 39. Typical response from a Lebron homer.

Are you seriously cosign on that ridiculous comment? What is his logic? If we do not scalp an underdog for losing, we couldn't celebrate same underdog for winning? Like OK, I try to not be mean, but that right there one of the most idiotic posts I have seen in a very long time.

LeBron and the Lakers are not favorites anymore. They aren't. They are underdogs. Guy has no right to be as good as he is, yet he still going pretty strong. I get it could be annoying if media still overhypes him, I do not use or see that media. Doesn't bother me personally.

That's what underdog is. Someone you do not fault for losing but celebrate even more if they win. I can not f***Ing believe my eyes I need to explain this in a sports forum.

Do we fault GSW for flaming out in play in? Not really, they are old, they were great, dominant. This loss doesn't take away the fact they were great once. The time just passed. But if they beat the Kings, and then Pelicans, and then 4 rounds of fing playoffs and are the champions... Oh, we couldn't celebrate them, cause "you can't have it both ways"... rofl what?

I am sorry, but how the hell you think out the argument this stupid?

[elchengue20]

39 years old

Uprecedent.

Obvious free pass at this point.

[OdomFan]

They lost one game on the road in perhaps the hardest arena to play at in the entire league and we’re seeing threads like this. Classic.

And yes, saying “he’s 39” is a totally appropriate response and not an excuse at all. Everything positive he does at this stage of his career is gravy. He is still an incredible player, but in an ideal world he wouldn’t have to do this much at this stage of his career.

If LA loses this series badly it’s not on LeBron. We don’t criticize Jordan for doing jack **** with the Wizards at the same age LeBron is now. But for LeBron we’ll light him up for losing to the defending champs and the best player in the world in his prime? Lol.

Jordan was doing very well until he got injured. thats what people either ignore or don't know/understand.

LOL. Your definition of Jordan doing “very well” at LeBron’s age would be an absolutely horrendous season for LeBron. If LeBron played the way Jordan did in the last two season of his career, people on here would be clowning him and saying this old bum needs to retire. But when it’s Jordan… the man could’ve stepped on the court and taken a dump at center court and people like you would be drooling all over him.

My definition is the same as any other definition. Those Wizards were in a playoff spot, and he was in the 2002 MVP race. Then he got injured.

In 2019 Lebron had a similar scenario. The Lakers were in a playoff spot. Lebron got hurt, and they lost said playoff spot.

[HMFFL]

He doesn't get a pass. Lebron and corporations force the public to know who he is even when we don't care. They're trying to manipulate (market) us in many ways and I'm not sold. I believe many of us are ready for a league without Lebron as a player, or I'd prefer him to jump ship to a real contender, so I can take him more seriously.


He has quality players around him but nothing to matchup with Jokic. We've already see this last season since the Lakers broke their team up after the Bubble Championship. Bully ball on Jokic and allowing it was one key factor to the Lakers success. They don't have anybody that's willing to put in the work to be a bully against a force like Jokic now. Which is why Dwight Howard would be a key piece but it's not like he can play long minutes throughout the game even if they had him.

At 39 years of age he can only impact the game so much. His shot is so accurate in his present game that it does impress me.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM Forums mobile app

[Iwasawitness]

Lebron is 39 lol.

so what

ONLY the lakers have TWO legit first ballot hof players in a league of parity.
they have the supposed goat who is a 6'8/255 freight train
they have a top center

and they can't cry about no support for lebron when the lakers are suitably equipped to beat any team when ALL teams have weaknesses

And for that reason we should throw out every and all context out the window? Imagine thinking this is a valid argument.

Some of the posts in this thread. Geez.

[Roy T]

From a legacy standpoint, did it hurt Shaq when he bounced around the league at the end of his career?

Hell yes.

And my brain to this day can’t comprehend Wizards Jordon.

[VanWest82]

We’ve all played with people like this. Guys who were more talented than everyone but who would slump their shoulders and stop trying as hard and start pointing fingers the moment it looked like you might not win. Meanwhile, everyone else on the team is still busting their ass because the game’s not over and you play til the whistle.

It just goes to show that you can’t take the insecure loser out if him no matter how old he gets. He’ll always be a front runner. He’ll always try and stack the deck to give himself a leg up. He’ll always be a quitter when the going gets tough.

[zimpy27]

LeBron fans will pivot over the course of literally 30 minutes real time from "he's still the best player in the game! this is why hes the GOAT!" to "lol you guys are clowns for having expectations on him like this, he's 39 years old"

i'm pretty sure the only people enjoying "gravy" from this phase of LeBrons career are his internet stans that get to pivot their positions every quarter, bait criticism for him from normal basketball watchers with low expectations for him and then condescend and hide behind his age when they get called out for it later in the ensuing inevitable disappointment. cause the man himself is clearly pretty miserable on the floor

I haven't seen anyone call LeBron as still best player in the world... in years now.

It may explain the takes though if Kemba has been stuck reading the forum before 2018 and just can't get why he gets so much praise as the best player.

[The4thHorseman]

Jordan was doing very well until he got injured. thats what people either ignore or don't know/understand.

LOL. Your definition of Jordan doing “very well” at LeBron’s age would be an absolutely horrendous season for LeBron. If LeBron played the way Jordan did in the last two season of his career, people on here would be clowning him and saying this old bum needs to retire. But when it’s Jordan… the man could’ve stepped on the court and taken a dump at center court and people like you would be drooling all over him.

My definition is the same as any other definition. Those Wizards were in a playoff spot, and he was in the 2002 MVP race. Then he got injured.

In 2019 Lebron had a similar scenario. The Lakers were in a playoff spot. Lebron got hurt, and they lost said playoff spot.

Go check and see how many games were missed by each teams top 8 players and you'll see that 'once again' there's no comparison.

[RHODEY]

Of course You can’t have it both ways. You can’t stroke Lebron when he has a nice game or breaks some cumulative stats record and then let him off of the hook when he stinks it up in the playoffs by reminding people he’s 39. Typical response from a Lebron homer.

Are you seriously cosign on that ridiculous comment? What is his logic? If we do not scalp an underdog for losing, we couldn't celebrate same underdog for winning? Like OK, I try to not be mean, but that right there one of the most idiotic posts I have seen in a very long time.

LeBron and the Lakers are not favorites anymore. They aren't. They are underdogs. Guy has no right to be as good as he is, yet he still going pretty strong. I get it could be annoying if media still overhypes him, I do not use or see that media. Doesn't bother me personally.

That's what underdog is. Someone you do not fault for losing but celebrate even more if they win. I can not f***Ing believe my eyes I need to explain this in a sports forum.

Do we fault GSW for flaming out in play in? Not really, they are old, they were great, dominant. This loss doesn't take away the fact they were great once. The time just passed. But if they beat the Kings, and then Pelicans, and then 4 rounds of fing playoffs and are the champions... Oh, we couldn't celebrate them, cause "you can't have it both ways"... rofl what?

I am sorry, but how the hell you think out the argument this stupid?

Of course I agree. Relative to the greats he is not that "good" win it comes to winning. I would argue there are about 7 that were clearly better and another 2 or 3 t hat were probably better.

He can put up empty offensive stats all day long sure... but that is not fooling those that know basketball. For the last server (atleast) years he doesn't do the things that are important for winning. Doesn't play defense, doesn't lead, doesn't win when it counts. but the dude is always there to accept false accolades call himself a "king".

We are tired of all the unwarranted praise for this dude....he really just doesn't deserve it. ESPN broadcaster can slurp him 24/7 but it doesn't change the fact that what he offers is smoke and mirrors.

Oh but he's 39 ....and so?

[NZB2323]

Lebron is 39. He should get a free pass for this year. 2011 is another story.

[ChipotleWest]

If the Lakers get swept by Denver this year, it’ll mean that a Lebron led team with prime AD by his side lost EIGHT CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF GAMES while also missing the playoffs for two seasons during his tenure in LA. Lebron might get a free pass from ESPN, Nick Wright, Shannon Sharpe and kids who started watching the NBA in 2015 but not from me. Lebron managed to win a single game in the 2017 and 2018 Finals COMBINED and is on track to do even worse in the 2023 and 2024 playoffs against Denver (combined). This is your GOAT? A guy who normalizes losing more than winning? A guy who had 7 turnovers last night and attempted his first shot in the 4th quarter with a minute remaining?

If MJ gets a pass for every single failure.
And he's considered GOAT by most.

then it is ok for LeBron or anyone to get a pass for losing.

Who was MJ's Anthony Davis in the 80's when he had those playoff failures? Heck he didn't even have an Austin Reeves before Scottie, and when he did have Scottie in the 80's and they lost to the Pistons Scottie averaged 8 points per game while Jordan was averaging 35. Absolutely no comparison to Lebron losing to the Mavs with both Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Context is a b**** ain't it?

Since it's just win or shut up no excuses why did Lebron miss the playoffs his first two seasons? Because you're giving Jordan no pass for being young and having bad teammates I won't give Lebron that pass either. Since context doesn't matter to you no pass for being 39 either.