LeBron James says Lakers have gotten ‘accustomed to losses’ in recent past

With only 23 games left in the season, LeBron James sounds like someone who is trying to sound the alarms and create a sense of urgency like it’s November of 2014.

Back then, LeBron James was a Cavalier and lamenting the bad habits that had been built up with the Cavs during his time away in Miami. And after a brutally disappointing loss to the Pelicans, helmed not by Anthony Davis but by Jrue Holiday and Cheick Diallo, 128-115, James sounded a lot like his younger self when he spoke to reporters.

Here’s a sample of his postgame rhetoric, via Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group.

It led to more frustration from James, who seemed to question the team’s ability to find motivation — “How do you know if you’ve never been there before?” — and then said that the defeats (four in the last six games) have been wearing on him.

“The last few years, everyone’s so accustomed to the losses,” he said. “I’m not accustomed to it. I will never get comfortable with losing.”

While what James is saying might be true, there’s no way for what he said not to sound a little hollow to the rest of the Lakers, who James essentially approved to go on the chopping block during the failure of the Anthony Davis trade fiasco.

Sure, most of the Lakers haven’t been in this position before, with a chance to get to the postseason. But LeBron James has been in this position before and it’s past time that he take control to lead them by example.

James is the rising tide that lifts all boats, but while he put up good numbers last night, it wasn’t a night that lived up to the standard he’s so often set. LeBron is right, the Lakers didn’t have a winning culture before he got there, but he had to always know that part of the deal in joining them was restoring what the Lakers franchise had lost.

It’s an immense responsibility, and perhaps after what happened with the trade fiasco may make it impossible for James to recapture the team’s belief. But nothing short of a miracle finish over the last 23 games from James will be enough to reawaken the team’s desire.