What's Next For LeBron James After Playoffs Miss?
LeBron James has only missed the playoffs four times in his career.
The latest occurred after the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns earlier this week, ending their postseason hopes. This was especially disappointing because the they were considered a contender after acquiring future Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook last offseason.
After all the preseason hoopla, the Lakers suffered many embarrassing losses. Among them were an overtime loss against the Houston Rockets and being mocked by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Even though James had a great year statistically, the lack of production from his surrounding cast put most of the pressure on him. Many blame James for recruiting Westbrook over Demar DeRozan, and bringing in an aging Anthony. James averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists during the 2021-22 season but it wasn’t enough to establish the Lakers as a legitimate team.
It could lead to James moving on again after this year.
There has been much speculation to where James may end up. It was rumored that he could possibly reunite with the Miami Heat before his career is over. FOX Sports anchor Colin Cowherd suggested that Miami would be the best place for James,because of the team schemes and familiarity.
“I don’t think Miami is dynamic enough at point guard," Cowherd said on The Herd. “If you put LeBron in Miami with Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, I think they win the title.”
In the most recent episode of “The Shop: Uninterrupted,” James stated that he would like to play with either Steph Curry or with his son Bronny James.
Still at the top of his game, James will have options as he enters his 20th season
Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant
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