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The Los Angeles Lakers are in do or die mode with the 2021-22 regular season wrapping up, but the team failed to get the job done on Sunday. With LeBron James sidelined for the clash against the Denver Nuggets, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook were unable to lift the team to a much-needed win. The loss sees the Lakers drop to 31-47 on the year, and the 16 games below .500 the team currently sits at is the worst ever by a LeBron James-led team, per ESPN Stats and Info.
The Lakers are 16 games below .500.
It is the first time a LeBron James team has ever been 16 games below .500 in his career. pic.twitter.com/iC9zrr2Rmf
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 3, 2022
Not even during his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers was LeBron ever this far below the .500 mark. Now, after losing a must-win game against the Nuggets, the Lakers find themselves 16 games under .500 with just four games left on the slate.
Despite the starpower on the roster, the likes of Westbrook, Davis, and LeBron were unable to bring this team past the 35-win threshold. The only time LeBron has ever finished with less than 35 wins in a season came during his rookie season in 2003-04. He managed to come full circle with the disappointing season in Los Angeles.
Injuries have plagued James this season, as father time is potentially beginning to catch up to the 37-year-old. This season, James has featured in 56 games, missing 22. He was unavailable for Sunday's matchup due to an ankle injury. His next chance to play will come Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns, followed by a clash with the Golden State Warriors on Thursday in The Bay.
On the year, James has averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and drained a career-high 2.9 3-pointers per game at a 35.9% clip.
