ICYMI: LeBron James and other LA Lakers players exchange expletives with fans during their loss to New Orleans Pelicans

LeBron James and the LA Lakers continue to find themselves in the spotlight. Unfortunately for Lakers fans, it's been because of their disappointing play. The team has struggled all season and, in fact, is trending in the wrong direction.

Sunday night was another eye-opening display of disappointing play. Los Angeles suffered a 123-95 blowout loss at home to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers (27-33), who are 6-14 since Jan. 9, are in ninth place in the Western conference.

It was clear fans weren't pleased as the team faced countless boos throughout the game. A video showed James exchanging words with a fan during the game.

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LeBron James and the LA Lakers continue to struggle

The LA Lakers continue to trend in the wrong direction.

It's clear that tensions are beginning to run high for LeBron James and Los Angeles, especially after their Sunday night loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. For a team that entered the year with aspirations of making a run at the NBA Finals, it may struggle just to earn a spot in the play-in round.

Although James has wowed fans with his performances, the team hasn't had the firepower and consistency to translate that into wins.

The Lakers have had to deal with some adversity throughout the season.

After acquiring Russell Westbrook in the offseason, the hope was that the team found the missing piece to complement James and Anthony Davis.

But Westbrook's play has seen a rapid decline throughout the year. Davis has also had two setbacks, suffering an ankle injury before the All-Star break not long after returning from a knee injury. He will miss weeks with the latest injury after missing more than a month with the first injury.

The Lakers took a gamble this offseason when they decided to bring in a number of veteran pieces for the season. While there were big names who intrigued fans, many remained skeptical about an aging roster, wondering if they could contend for a title.

After beginning the year with high expectations, the season has turned into a nightmare. Time will tell if Los Angeles can get back on track, but it appears as if the team continues to trend in the wrong direction.

Los Angeles was a season-best three games over .500 on Dec. 15, sitting at 16-13. But the Lakers have gone 16-13 since.