Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has carved out a legendary career and is undoubtedly in the GOAT conversation as he wraps up his 19th NBA season. He has also racked up countless awards and has dominated the competition from an individual standpoint even up to this day. At the age of 37, the Ohio native continues to prove that he still has a lot left in the tank.

However, like any other player in the league, LBJ has also encountered some rough patches throughout his career. The Lakers' 2021-22 campaign is one of those, but there are also other seasons where his teams failed to live up to expectations and fell short of attaining the level of success that was expected of them.

After another down year has come to a close for the Purple and Gold, let's take a look at four of the worst seasons of LeBron James' career.

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LeBron James' 4 worst seasons

4. 2020-21 season

After successfully winning the championship in the Disney bubble, many expected the Lakers to repeat in the 2020-21 season with LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the forefront of their title retention bid. However, it was definitely a challenge for Los Angeles after an incredibly short offseason to rest and recover from the deep playoff run.

True enough, the short layoff clearly affected them. James struggled with various injuries throughout the season, though he still managed to average 25.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in 45 games played.

The Lakers ended the regular season with a 42-30 record and needed to win in the play-in tournament just to secure a seat in the playoffs. However, their postseason run was short-lived as they absorbed a 4-2 series loss to the Phoenix Suns after Anthony Davis' injury, which marked the first first-round playoff loss in LeBron's career.

It was certainly disappointing, but the circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic just made it difficult for the Lakers to defend their title. But, hey, at least they still saw action in the playoffs during this season, unlike the other campaigns included on this list.

3. 2003-04 season

Coming out of high school, LeBron James instantly became a star in the league after getting drafted first overall by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. He didn't need any time to adjust in the pros, quickly averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 79 games played.

It was surely a solid line for a rookie and was enough for him to take home the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year Award. However, after seeing how LeBron's career panned out, his per-game averages in his rookie season are the lowest so far in his 19-year career. Moreover, it is also the only season without an All-Star selection.

At that time, he had no help around him as well as he was tasked to carry a struggling Cavaliers franchise back to relevance. They eventually ended the 2003-04 season in the ninth spot of the Eastern Conference with a 35-47 record.

2. 2018-19 season

After absorbing yet another NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2017-18 season, LeBron James decided to jump ship and suit up for the Lakers. It wasn't all pleasant when he first arrived in Los Angeles, because he didn't have a team that was built to make it all the way to the Finals.

This time around, he had young guys in Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma, who all showed flashes of potential but weren't finished products. Everyone knew that LeBron would rather have a ready-made roster that could immediately go on a deep playoff run instead of waiting for the young talents to develop and mature.

Still, the future Hall of Famer managed to record his usual numbers by averaging 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 55 appearances. The Lakers closed the 2018-19 season without a playoff berth as they finished with a 37-45 record for the 10th spot in the Western Conference, thanks in part to LeBron's injury woes at the end of the season.

It was such a huge disappointment, given that many were hyped about LeBron's arrival and had high expectations for the Purple and Gold for this particular season. In the following offseason, the writing on the wall eventually came to fruition as Anthony Davis landed in Los Angeles to help LBJ win his fourth title in 2019-20.

1. 2021-22 season

Without a doubt, the Lakers' 2021-22 season is officially the most disappointing and ranks at the top of this unfortunate list. Looking back, the Purple and Gold had chances to land other star players to team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but they decided on Russell Westbrook and the results quickly became disastrous.

The Lakers also eventually ended up getting a ton of past-their-prime veterans who couldn't produce well enough for a team aiming to go deep in the playoffs. Tenured players like Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, and Kent Bazemore all have vast playing experience in the league, but their inconsistencies have hindered them from seeing action on the floor and contributing at a high level on a regular basis.

Davis' injury-plagued campaign as well as Westbrook's on-court struggles further hindered the Lakers from achieving their goal this season. LeBron James showed little signs of aging with averages of 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists through 56 games at the age of 37, though the injury bug bit him once again as well.

Injuries, chemistry issues, and roster construction prevented the Lakers from sustaining momentum. With just three games to play in the regular season, they are 31-48 and will miss the play-in tournament altogether, making this not only the most disappointing season in LeBron's career but arguably the most disappointing season in NBA history.