“We could, on any given night, beat any team in the NBA. And then, on any given night, we get our ass kicked by any team in the NBA.”

 

It’s gotta be tough to expect to win the NBA championship every year, and for the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar player, LeBron James, it seems as if frustration is setting in.

After the latest Lakers game, in which the team suffered a loss to the Atlanta Hawks, 138-122, his solemn mood and response to a reporter’s question told the story. The Lakers are having the very definition of an up-and-down season, as the team’s record is a dismal 24-25. They have been circling the .500 mark all season, and it doesn’t create a winning mindset when you are winning every other basketball game.

Although it seems as if LeBron is breaking another record or making history every week, the playoffs don’t look to be in their future if their continued play stays at this level. His stat line for Wednesday night’s game was 20 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.

As he sat in front of his locker after the loss, he expressed to reporters that, “We could, on any given night, beat any team in the NBA. And then, on any given night, we get our ass kicked by any team in the NBA.”

After shaking his head and giving a straight stare, he said, “That’s just it,” before questioning what the Lakers record is. After being told one game under .500, he then asks, “Under .500? What, 24-25? That’s where we are.”

LeBron James on the 24-25 Lakers: “We could on any given night beat any team in the NBA. And then on any given night we could get our ass kicked” pic.twitter.com/IlKra5XAmy

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 31, 2024

Last weekend, the future NBA Hall of Famer became the oldest player in NBA history (39) to score 30 points and pull down 20 rebounds in a game. LeBron’s stat line for the contest was 36 points and 20 rebounds (which amounted to a career-high for him) as he dished out 12 assists. He is the first Laker to post a 30-20-10 stat line since NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1976. He also joined Elgin Baylor in accomplishing that task.

Their next game is against their storied rival, the Boston Celtics, on Thursday, Feb. 1.