ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith says LeBron James' legacy will take a hit if the Los Angeles Lakers don’t make the playoffs this season.
Entering the 2018-19 campaign, LeBron has made it to the NBA finals eight years in a row. That was in the Eastern Conference, though.
Smith believes if James can't make the playoffs in his first year in the Western Conference, it will be something that pundits, like himself, won't forget.
The last time LeBron James wasn't in the postseason was his second year in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The King was just 20 years old back then.
Entering Monday, the Lakers are 30-33 on the season, 10th place in the West standings. They are four and a half games back of the San Antonio Spurs for the eighth and final playoff spot and are coming off a putrid loss to the worst team in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns.
Statistically, James is having another stellar season. The four-time MVP is averaging 27.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.1 assists while shooting 51.0 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from beyond the arc and 66.9 percent from the free-throw line.
However, James has been dreadful at times this season on defense. LeBron is still universally recognized as the best player in the world, but everybody knows the roster he has behind him isn't the best. But still, no one saw the Lakers being this bad this season under James' watch.
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