Lakers fans FRUSTRATED with LeBron James: NBA insider drops major claim
LEBRON JAMES may be one of the greatest NBA players of all time, but Los Angeles Lakers fans are yet to be enamoured by the superstar.
LeBron James: I wanted to be like Michael Jordan
That’s according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who believes Lakers fans have grown tired with this team throughout the course of the season.
It has been a frustrating season for the Lakers in a year which promised so much.
Acquiring James in free agency last summer had some predicting not only a trip to the playoffs, but potentially a run at the NBA Finals.
Injuries have played their toll on the roster, with James sitting out 18 games, but overall it has been a disappointment.
WANT THE LATEST NBA NEWS? LIKE OUR BRAND NEW NBA FACEBOOK PAGE
They won’t be making the postseason and the better option for them now is to try and best position themselves for the NBA draft lottery.
During their recent loss to Denver Nuggets, boos could be heard inside the Staples Center directed at the players.
And Smith suggests James is a large reason for the Lakers fans’ frustration.
“Folks are sitting there saying, ‘what are you here for LeBron?’” he said on ESPN’s Get Up!
“Are you here to play basketball or are you here for Hollywood?
“In fairness to him, he’s performing.
“It’s not ideal when he points the finger at his team-mates, but the reality is that he’s going on the court and he’s performing.
“But Ramona Shelburne came on my radio show just a couple days ago and I thought she adroitly pointed out something that was very poignant.
“It seemed his definition of joining Laker nation was joining Hollywood, as opposed to ingratiating himself with Laker fans.
“You could see they appreciate his greatness because they gave him a standing ovation when he broke Michael Jordan’s record.
“Outside of that, they didn’t really show any love whatsoever.
“They’re not feeling this Lakers team, they’re not feeling LeBron James and if Magic Johnson doesn’t fix this soon, they’re not going to be feeling him either.”