78 combined points from LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Charlotte Hornets still ran away with a surprising 135-117 win. For the Lakers, it marked their fourth loss in the last five games. Another performance where defensive lapses were evident, and naturally, the 41-year-0ld being the leader was called out.

L.A. allowed the Hornets to shoot 54.3% overall and 46.5% from 3-point range, and it was out-rebounded 50-35. One instance where the Lakers and LeBron’s defensive issues were visible was in the fourth quarter. With 1:51 left, James missed a 27-foot three-point pull-up jump shot. Vanderbilt was around to grab the offensive rebound and passed it to Luka Doncic. 3 players in the paint surrounded the Slovenian, who passed it to LeBron again.

He took his time with the dribble, and with 5 seconds left on the shot clock, King James decided to penetrate the paint. The Hornets again had multiple bodies, and Brandon Miller was able to steal the ball, which led to a break for the Hornets. The disappointing thing that the Lakers fan noticed was the lack of effort to get back to help his team.

LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte passed the ball around easily as LeBron wasn’t back on defense. With 18 seconds left on the shot clock, LaMelo scored an easy 3-pointer with no pressure. The lack of effort was visible to the head coach, and he took action.

JJ Redick introduced Dalton Knecht, who entered the game, replacing LeBron James. It was the final action for the 41-year-old. No doubt he has been an offensive juggernaut; in fact, nineteen of his 29 points came in the second half as he tried to engineer a comeback. But the issues on the other still remain.

The Lakers were outscored 34-16 in the second quarter, 40-38 in the third, and 31-24 in the fourth. Fans are tired of seeing getting blown in double every loss except one. And LeBron is the first piece they are willing to change.

Despite scoring, LeBron James receives no sympathy

Seeing the entire sequence, where King James was inactive for close to 10 seconds, a fan bluntly wrote, “Lebron so lazy on D 😭.” His defensive rating of 117.2 doesn’t inspire much confidence. That is the worst defensive rating of his 23-year NBA career. His net rating of -1.7 is the worst among the other starters on the team. Naturally, fans expect more.

“Time to go bro @KingJames give it up bro you got nothing more to show you did it we get it time to let go.” When he opted into his $52.6 million contract, the expectation for year 23 was very high. But a 13-9 record doesn’t state his importance or ability as a leader. In 22 games this season, he has 58 turnovers, giving it away far too easily.

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A fan called it out, “Where is the bag? Why does he keep turning the ball over in crucial moments? Why does he not get back on D? Why are the Lakers trash since he came back?” With Luka Doncic known to handle the ball, maybe it’s time for the Slovenian to handle it full-time. A netizen commented, “Its no coincidence anymore Also the fact that everyone started playing utterly shit when he came back.”

The entire team seems to be suffering from a defensive identity issue. They are dead last in allowing teams from 3-point range. But when it comes to LeBron, he has had his struggles in different games. “Lebron is just out there to get his stat line,” a fan commented. “He don’t care about winning and never has. Thats the difference between him and MJ. When MJ was averaging 37 he realized in order to win his team needed to be more involved and his stats went down. That’s why he has 6 rings and LeBron has 4.”

Even in the 119-96 loss to the Rockets, LeBron James recorded a shocking stat of plus-minus of -33, meaning the Lakers were outscored by 33 points with him on the court. That’s why a netizen put some blame on King James.