Los Angeles Lakers superstar small forward LeBron James has brought the franchise back to the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

The Lakers clinched a playoff spot on Friday after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center.

James says he and his teammates are putting the Lakers “back where they needed to be.”

“I came here to put this team and put this franchise back where they needed to be,” James said, via ESPN. “The league is not what it is if the Lakers are not winning. And that was one of my responsibilities, one of my goals when I came here.

“Last year, wasn't able to fulfill that. Hurt me to my heart to go down on Dec. 25 with the groin injury that I had — knock on wood.”

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The Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference and are title contenders with LeBron and Anthony Davis leading the charge.

James is averaging 25.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.7 assists on the season. He’s shooting 49.9 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from beyond the arc and 69.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Now that he’s healthy again, LeBron has been active on defense, something we didn’t see last season when he was dealing with that groin injury. The Lakers need James to be elite on defense during the NBA playoffs if they are going to win the whole thing.

The Lakers are back in action on Sunday against the L.A. Clippers. The Purple and Gold are 0-2 against Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers this season.