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The Los Angeles Lakers are in a slump they just can’t seem to break out of.
Once the fourth seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers are now the 11st seed after dropping nine of their last 15 games, including four of their last five.
With three teams separating them and the postseason, there’s not a lot be excited about in Tinsel Town right now, but LeBron James doesn’t want to see his teammates with their heads hanging low.
After another discouraging loss to a lower-seeded Memphis Grizzlies team on Monday, James said that it’s important for everyone in the locker room to remain optimistic (via Spectrum SportsNet):
“Just stay positive, and that starts with me. I’ve just got to stay positive, keep knocking on the door. I feel like if we keep playing like we did tonight, what that consistent effort, it will get us over the hump as we make this push.”
That positive energy from James was on full display at shootaround on Wednesday:
LeBron is in a good mood today pic.twitter.com/DebDeTnSmQ
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) February 27, 2019
Listen to that laugh. The only person that can laugh like that with a bad attitude is Skeletor.
James also told reporters at shootaround that he’s looking forward to seeing how the Lakers respond against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday:
LeBron’s main point after the game in Memphis seemed to be about the importance of staying positive in face of adversity. Today, he said: “I like where we are as a team with our mindset, and hopefully moving forward.” Said he’s eager for the game (vs. New Orleans) tonight.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 27, 2019
Obviously, nothing makes a locker room happier than actually winning games, but it sounds like they’re headed in the right direction as a team, at least from a chemistry standpoint. James, as the team’s leader, seems to be setting the tone for the rest of the team and he deserves a ton of credit for that.
Now all we can do is hope that his energy is infectious and translates into wins.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Christian on Twitter at @RadRivas.