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Lakers' LeBron James on Ankle Injury: 'Gave Everything I Had to This Season'
April 8, 2022
LeBron James' season is officially over.
The Los Angeles Lakers ruled James out of the final two games of the regular season Friday, leading to him tweeting that he wished his historic season could have led to more wins.
LeBron James @KingJamesI appreciate it and love y’all love! Wish it was done in winning fashion though! Gave everything I had to this season when I was on the floor! See y’all again in the fall. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Year20?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Year20</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SFG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SFG</a>🚀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KingMe?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KingMe</a>👑 <a href="https://t.co/KBOoHBktjg">https://t.co/KBOoHBktjg</a>
James finished the regular season with averages of 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in 56 games for a Lakers team that currently sits 31-49. His scoring average was the second-highest of his career and had him in contention for the scoring title all season.
Because James failed to play the required 58 games to qualify, he is ineligible for the scoring title.
The Lakers' season was defined by injuries and an ill-fitting roster that never came close to coalescing. Anthony Davis and James both missed extended time with injuries, all while failing to find chemistry with Russell Westbrook when they were healthy. James and Westbrook were a particularly bad match given their propensity for having the ball in their hands.
The Lakers have one net-positive season in James' four years with the franchise: the 2020 NBA championship. Otherwise, the team has missed the playoffs twice and been eliminated once after barely making it into the playoffs as a No. 7 seed.
This offseason will likely see the Lakers fire Frank Vogel, leading to the third coach of James' L.A. tenure, and completely overhaul the roster for a fourth time.
As much as his individual greatness continues to astound, the results have not been there from a winning perspective as much as anyone hoped.