Plaschke: LeBron James’ new deal confirms the Lakers’ offseason is a bust

Lakers forward LeBron James’ career seems destined to end the same way Kobe Bryant’s did, with a lot of losses and no shot at a championship. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

The Lakers give an aging star a generous contract extension that ensures he will retire in their uniform.

The Lakers know this contract will restrict their ability to win a championship, but they give it to him anyway.

Sure enough, from the moment this contract is signed, the team endures six consecutive losing seasons, including one containing the fewest wins in Laker history.

This was the final impact of the Kobe Bryant era.

Read more: Plaschke: Lakers stuck in mediocre hell with no hope in sight after season-ending loss

And this will be the final impact of the LeBron James era?

It sure seems like it. It sure feels like it. It appears that the Lakers have been here before, and it’s not a good look.

When James agreed to a two-year, $104-million max contract Wednesday morning, it set the Lakers on a path toward several seasons of Kobe-tinged irrelevance.

Granted, James is a much stronger player than Bryant was during his final years. And, yes, this team has Anthony Davis; those teams had Timofey Mozgov.

But the feeling of hopelessness is the same. And the sense that the Lakers’ future has been mortgaged to please one player is real.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant’s final few seasons were marked by losses. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

You want some scary numbers? Using the Kobe Bryant scenario as a guide, the Lakers won’t be contenders until at least 2028, eight years after their bubble title and 18 years after their last full-season championship.

Sure, it will be cool watching James, who turns 40 in December, finish his career in a Laker uniform.

But if you’ll remember, it was cool watching Bryant end his career in a Laker uniform.

Cool, and yet, oh so destructive.

During those dark days, the Lakers couldn’t convince any top free agents to join a team essentially run by Bryant. The Lakers didn’t have a plan. The Lakers couldn’t sell a culture. The Lakers never had a chance. Seemingly like now.

Remember all the stumbles? They couldn’t talk…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/plaschke-lebron-james-deal-confirms-222316878.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2024-07-03 22:23:16

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