LeBron was noticeably upset following the Lakers 138-110 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, and rightfully so. The loss marks the team’s fourth in a row and they now sit at 16-17. Thursdays game was also the last at the Staples Center before the “Crypto.com Arena” renaming. After the game, LeBron finally admitted the reason for the Lakers’ slow start to this season.
“It’s literally a crap shoot every time you take a test (to see who will be out in health and safety protocols)” LeBron said. “We have no chemistry with any lineup… it’s the truth,” LeBron explained. “We have no chemistry with any lineup, from the simple fact that we literally haven’t logged enough minutes. It’s the truth. What is our starting lineup besides me Russ and AD? … We don’t know.”
As for their loss to the Spurs, LeBron cited the lack of available players for their defensive woes. He stated that “all of our defensive guys,” Bradley, Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, and Austin Reaves, are in health and safety protocols due to COVID-19. LeBron omitted AD from the list due to him being out for four or more weeks due to an MCL sprain.
Despite a 28 point deficit to the Spurs, LeBron dropped 36 points on 15-of-26 shooting. Westbrook scored 30 points on his own on 12-of-20 shooting.