LeBron James on Lakers Loss: 'I Know What I Got Myself Into. It's a Process'
The Los Angeles Lakers dropped to 0-3 with a 143-142 defeat overtime to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, but three-time NBA champion LeBron James isn't ready to hit the panic button just yet.
"I know what I got myself into. It's a process. I get it. And it will be fine," James said after Monday's game, according to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "So, I didn't come here thinking we were going to be blazing storms right out of the gate. It's a process, and I understand that."
Like the Philadelphia 76ers, James appears to be committed to the "process." Per LeBronWire's Erik Garcia Gundersen, the superstar made it clear after the season opener that the Lakers have to "trust the process" and realize that much of the roster lacks experience.
Los Angeles' latest loss came after the four-time NBA MVP hit a game-tying triple in the final seconds of regulation only to miss a pair of key free throws near the end of the extra session.
While the Lakers have dropped each of their first three contests, they have gone up against tough competition (Portland, Houston and San Antonio) and have managed to be competitive in each of them. There are no moral victories in the NBA, but this new-look squad hasn't been far off.
James is well aware that it takes time for teams to gel, as he is 0-4 in his career in his first game after changing uniforms. However, it had been some time since he endured a start like this:
James has made it to the Finals in the first year after changing uniforms each of the past two occurrences and would go on to win a championship in Year 2. However, this time around figures to be more of a process.
Los Angeles' roster includes young talent drafted in recent years like Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart. Once James signed, though, the Lakers made a point to sign veterans like Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and JaVale McGee to provide extra depth and help this squad take the next step as it attempts to snap a five-year playoff drought.
Piecing together a young core with a number of veteran role players can be tricky, as the team will have to figure out how to play together. The results haven't quite been there early on, but there is still plenty of time—79 games, to be exact—for the Lakers to get into a rhythm.
"We're going to continue to get better," James said, per McMenamin. "We're going to continue to get better. I like the direction we're going in. Obviously, it's not resulting in the wins right now but it's such a long process."
Los Angeles will be undermanned for the near future as Rondo and Ingram serve their suspensions for their roles in a brawl with the Rockets in the second game of the season. In the meantime, James and Co. will have to continue to push through and try to get their season on track.
The Lakers are back in action against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
