LeBron is destroying his legacy. The past 15 seasons have been a carefully curated magnum opus of basketball greatness and legendary play. No other star would destroy their reputation the way LeBron has in LA this season with his deplorable play, failing to lift up an island of misfit toys to the playoffs (currently 6.5 games back). Just kidding. Most of them do, we just don’t care. These are the NBA redacted seasons and narratives of the league’s elite.
Individual Seasons:
2004-05 Kobe Bryant
Kobe would never let the Lakers miss the playoffs! Yes, in fact he would. Meet the 2004-05 Lakers, 34-48, the 11th seed. Bryant was 26, played 66 of 82 games, averaged 27.6 points, 6 assists and 5.9 rebounds. And, they won 34 games. They missed the playoffs by ELEVEN games. For reference, James is on pace to play 64 games this year if he plays out the rest of the season. Also, never forget that if Kobe checked his ego and let Shaq lead the team, they win more rings.
2015-16 Kobe Bryant
This one isn’t as prevalent because Bryant was on his way out and greatly diminished by injuries, but the Lakers won 17 games. Bryant played 66, winning 13 of those. It hurt to watch, but can you imagine Skip Bayless’ mental state if LeBron only won 13 of 66 games?
67-70 Oscar Robertson
Robertson put up 22.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 5.1 APG over three seasons. An average record of 37-43 and no playoff appearances for the Big O from ages 29-31. Oscar would get back on track after being traded to the Bucks in ‘71.
1975-76 Kareem Abdul-Jabaar
Wow, a lot of these seasons happen in LA. Kareem was a monster, and put up ridiculous numbers that ended up receding with his hairline later on. But in ’75-’76, it was still going strong. 27.7 points and 17 rebounds a game. 82 games. 40 wins. Sixth best team in a nine-team West.
1994-95 Michael Jordan
While this isn’t a playoff miss, I still think it’s a chink in his legacy that’s largely dismissed. It turns out Jordan couldn’t hit a curve with a tennis racket, so he tried his hand at basketball again. He comes back at the end of the 1994-95 season. Let’s compare his 94-95 Magic series, a loss, to his 95-96 Magic series, a win.
‘94-’95: 42.3 MPG, 31 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.7 APG
‘95-’96: 40.8 MPG, 29.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.8 APG
He played better in ‘94-’95 by the numbers. On the in shape argument, it wasn’t like MJ was sitting on his couch eating McDonald’s for two years. The man was playing baseball at a high, albeit not MLB, level. Is that NBA running up and down shape? No.
But ‘94-’95 Jordan is sometimes described as if he was playing this series like a pickup game at the YMCA where he’s just trying to get his wind back. Jordan is an all-time competitor, gave max effort, and lost. I’d argue adding Rodman put them over the top of Orlando, not MJ doing more wind sprints.
Trade Demands
2007 Kobe Bryant
Kobe was an inseparable part of Los Angeles. He loved the town and was a Laker for life, no doubt. Oh, wait.
1981 Magic Johnson
Magic is a fun guy. He always had fun in LA. Whoops!
1981 Kareem Abdul-Jabaar
This is just how stars at various points wanted out of LA at this stage.
Coaching Difficulties
LeBron James (5)
- Mike Brown
- Erik Spolestra
- David Blatt
- Ty Lue
- Luke Walton
Kareem Abdul-Jabaar (6)
- Larry Costello
- Bill Sharman
- Jerry West
- Jack McKinney
- Paul Westhead
- Pat Riley
Magic Johnson (5)
- Jack McKinney
- Paul Westhead
- Pat Riley
- Mike Dunleavy
- Del Harris
Larry Bird (4)
- Bill Fitch
- K.C. Jones
- Jimmy Rodgers
- Chris Ford
Michael Jordan (6)
- Kevin Loughery
- Stan Albeck
- Doug Collins
- Phil Jackson
- Doug Collins (WSH)
- Eddie Jordan (WSH)
Kobe Bryant (6)
- Del Harris
- Kurt Rambis
- Phil Jackson
- Mike Brown
- Mike D’Antoni
- Byron Scott
Shaquille O’Neal (12)
- Matt Guokas
- Brian Hill
- Del Harris
- Kurt Rambis
- Phil Jackson
- Stan Van Gundy
- Pat Riley
- Mike D’Antoni
- Terry Porter
- Alvin Gentry
- Mike Brown
- Doc Rivers
I know that’s the first time I’ve mentioned Shaq. I just think it’s funny he had TWELVE head coaches.
My point here is that LeBron James is having a bad season despite eerily similar averages to previous years. It’s damaging to his legacy right now. But, give it five or ten years. The collective memory fades, and LeBron fans can blame this on a collection of Walton’s poor coaching, LeBron’s injury, and a poor supporting cast.
However, it’s crazy to pretend that cycling through coaches, demanding a trade, or a couple bad seasons will irreparably damage the legacy that LeBron is still shaping. Great players have been down those roads before and have managed to escape unscathed. Don’t expect LeBron to be the exception, expect him to be the rule.