Los Angeles Lakers' season hits new low amid LeBron James feud

·Sports Reporter

28 February 2022 at 10:08 pm·3-min read

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are mired in a dismal, injury-affected NBA campaign which might see them miss the playoffs entirely. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) (NBAE via Getty Images)

Tipped as title contenders heading into this NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers are instead trapped in a turbulent campaign which is at serious risk of going down altogether.

Hopes of a post All Star break push have all but evaporated as Monday's 28-point loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on their come court dropped them to a record of 4-16 in their last 20 games.

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Tension has been building on and off the court, with fans booing the Lakers as they fell behind by as much as 30 against the Pelicans, who are close behind LA in the Western Conference standings.

Injuries have left the Lakers unable to put their best players on the floor consistently amid months of criticism over the off-season acquisition of former MVP Russell Westbrook, who has struggled to fit in alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

And then it comes to James, the four-time champion who took a potshot at a well-known NBA reporter on Twitter after Monday's game.

James singled out The Athletic reporter Bill Oram, over a report from last week which suggested James was unhappy with the Lakers for not making any moves to upgrade the roster prior to the February trade deadline.

Oram ultimately suggested the relationship between James and the Lakers' front office was at breaking point - something James wanted to refute strongly.

“@billoram and I had a candid conversation after the game tonight and I know he has a job to do,” James wrote.

“I know what he wrote wasn’t truthful cause it never came from me.

"But I get it, SOURCES run this game. Nevertheless #LakerNation let him be cause he ain’t a bad guy.”

LeBron James calls out NBA reporter amid Lakers slide

Despite speculation the Lakers would be active ahead of the trade deadline, the front office maintained the roster as it was.

This was in part thanks to having limited ability to put together an acceptable trade, with Westbrook's massive contract not looked upon favourably by many other teams.

The Lakers' supporting cast of NBA veterans also did not prove to be an enticing prospect for rival teams, and with time running out to avoid the play-in tournament, Oram wrote that James' patience was waning.

“James and agent Rich Paul long grabbed hold of the Lakers organisation and are now beginning to really squeeze,” Oram wrote.

“The situation is tense enough that one source close to the Lakers likened it to the early days of a war.”

LeBron James has been increasingly disgruntled as the Lakers continue to battle through a disappointing season. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) (NBAE via Getty Images)

Oram's report was also brought up in James' press conference following the embarrassing loss to the Pelicans.

James sought to brush off the report, quipping that Oram had always harboured a grudge against the Lakers.

“Bill doesn’t like the Lakers anyway, so it’s always going to be a negative anytime Bill says anything about the Lakers,” James said.

“It’s going to be negative so I hope no one in Lakers faithful listens to Bill Oram. I hope not. He hasn’t said one great thing about the Lakers in so long. Okay? Appreciate it.”

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