"I ride or die with the Lakers faithful" - LeBron James with an emphatic statement for LA Lakers fans as the team continues to fight for a playoff spot

LeBron James, Trevor Ariza, and Russell Westbrook were caught on cam jawing with fans during the LA Lakers’ humiliating performance against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

LA’s gutless performance earned the ire of the thousands in attendance at Crypto.com Arena. Unfortunately, the fans who booed and jeered the Lakers’ superstars got something in return.

In a postgame interview after the LA Lakers were beaten by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, James had nothing but sweet words for the fans. From the heated words he gave to a few courtside jeerers, the four-time MVP was significantly more diplomatic this time around.

Here’s what LeBron James had to say about what the fans’ booing and catcalls meant to him (via Jacob Rude):

“Listen, I ride or die with Lakers faithful. If they boo, I’m with them. If they scream, I’m with them. That stuff don’t bother me, man. I’m 20 years into this league. I don’t care if they want to boo here, boo there, cheer, whatever they want to do, let’s do it. We’re all together.”

LeBron James’ comments were a 360-degree turn from what he pointed out to a heckler. Fans were calling out the Lakers’ effortless display starting the second half of the Pelicans game, where the star-studded Hollywood team gave up 44 points.

The four-time MVP had this to say to one of his critics:

“Tell me one thing you know about basketball besides the ball going in and the ball not going in. … Shut your a** up.”

Russell Westbrook, another former MVP, also had some choice words for another heckler:

“Go home, b***h!”

Jeanie Buss, the LA Lakers’ team owner, likely shared the same feelings and thoughts as the Lakers fans in question. Instead of saying something, she simply had to walk away from the horrific scene she was witnessing.

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Laker Nation demand more from LeBron James and Russell Westbrook

The star-studded LA Lakers have not lived up to their fans' lofty expectations [Photo: MARCA]

For most of the season, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook have repeatedly vowed to be better. However, they haven’t consistently kept their promise. Both players were major reasons why the LA Lakers were embarrassed by the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Lakers had 23 backbreaking turnovers against the Pelicans, many of them utterly careless. 14 of those miscues were committed by James and Westbrook, who looked lethargic and disengaged for most of the night.

There are still more than enough games left in the season for the LA Lakers to live up to their promises. Making the playoffs is a daunting but not impossible task.

If they can show more fight the way they did against the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers should be able to turn those deflating boos into energizing cheers.