While Anthony Davis trade rumors dominate the news cycle, there are still games to be played — though the Los Angeles Lakers have apparently not gotten the memo. Pretty much everyone on the roster (except LeBron James) knows they could be on their way to join the New Orleans Pelicans at any moment in the next few days, and it showed on Tuesday night.
Down by 19 at halftime in their matchup with the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers completely mailed in the second half, fading to an embarrassing 136-94 loss. LeBron James was back in the lineup after sitting out their loss to the Golden State Warriors over the weekend, and in perhaps fitting fashion, his personal accomplishment was the highlight of the game for the Lakers. Late in the second quarter, he hit a 3-pointer to make him the youngest player in NBA history to reach 32,000 career points.
Other than that, though, it was a night the Lakers will want to forget. Not only did they suffer one of the worst losses in Lakers history — the franchise record is a 49-point loss to the Mavericks in 2017 — and the worst loss of LeBron’s career, but there were also a number of gaffes that made it feel even worse than just a terrible defeat.
The drama started just a few minutes into the game. Brandon Ingram got to the free throw line, and the Pacers crowd immediately serenaded him with “LeBron’s gonna trade you” chants. As one of the Lakers’ best young players, Ingram will almost assuredly be a part of a Davis trade, should one happen.
If that wasn’t enough, the crowd also chanted “not worth trading” at JaVale McGee later in the game.
After the game, Ingram acknowledged that he heard the chants, but made sure to point out he still made the free throw.
LeBron, for his part, had no sympathy for his teammates: “That’s just fans being fans,” LeBron said. “If you let that bother you, you’re in the wrong sport.” Not exactly warm or supportive! Speaking of which…
LeBron sits by himself
There have long been jokes about LeBron being the de facto general manager for whatever team he’s on. And while his influence has perhaps been a bit exaggerated at times, there’s no doubt that he exercises plenty of power when it comes to team-building decisions.
No, he’s not actually talking to Pelicans GM Dell Demps, or trying to put together this Davis trade himself, but he may as well be. It’s no secret that LeBron wants to bring another star to Los Angeles, and this situation is especially interesting considering that LeBron and Davis share the same agent — LeBron’s longtime friend, Rich Paul.
That must make for a prickly situation inside the Lakers locker room, and the scene from the Lakers bench painted a pretty clear picture.
Source: CBSS Sport
