'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The trajectory of the LA Lakers franchise changed dramatically when they signed LeBron James before the 2018-19 season. Since donning the purple and gold, James' results for the Lakers have been up and down.
Despite some rough lows, James was able to lead the Lakers back to the mountain top in 2020. In what was certainly an abnormal season, Los Angeles took home its first title in a decade during the NBA bubble.
Since securing that championship, the Lakers have been trending in the wrong direction. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last year and will miss the postseason altogether this year. James has been with the Lakers for four years now, and his seasons have ended with missing the playoffs twice, a first-round exit and a title.
At the close of an abysmal regular season, Jordan Cornette said James has done much more for the Lakers than they have done for him:
"What LeBron brought was a title and restored order to a Lakers franchise."
LeBron James suffering from Lakers' mishaps
When LeBron James came to Los Angeles, it was to help cement his legacy. He wanted to join the elite company of superstars who have secured championships for the historic franchise. He managed to do so in the bubble in 2020, but there is no denying that the Lakers have done him no favors.
Along with signing James, the Lakers emptied their treasure chest of assets to acquire Anthony Davis to win it all in 2019-20. Entering the prime of his career, Davis was expected to be James' running mate as they contended for titles. Outside of that run in the bubble, Davis has battled multiple injuries.
The other big move that blew up in the Lakers' face came in the offseason when they traded for Russell Westbrook. Instead of maintaining their core and targeting someone like Buddy Hield, LA sacrificed depth to acquire the former MVP. Westbrook's fit alongside James was questionable from the start and became a glaring issuing throughout the year.
Despite being in the twilight of his career, James has shown he can still compete at a high level. At age 37, he is on pace to have his highest-scoring season (30.3 points per game) in nearly 15 years. Unfortunately for the Lakers, they have done a poor job of capitalizing on what he has left in the tank.
The Lakers have a lot of issues to fix, but James is not one of them. Based on how things have unfolded, it's not wrong to say he's done more for the franchise than they've done for him.
Guess the Lakers players!
