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ORLANDO (Florida) • LeBron James took it personally when he failed to guide the Los Angeles Lakers to the play-offs last year, prolonging their six-year drought.
It was a blow to the pride of the three-time MVP, having made eight successive appearances in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals and 14 consecutive trips to the postseason with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.
Last summer, he vowed to do better, embarking on a delightful offense to recruit fellow All-Star Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans along with battle-proven veterans like Danny Green and Dwight Howard.
Others like Markieff Morris joined later in the season, encouraged by the signs of progress the team was showing.
James’ first goal was achieved in March when the Lakers qualified for the play-offs for the first time since 2013, but he wasn’t satisfied then.
They were inducted as championship favorites when the season restarted in July in the Disney World “bubble,” and the team has so far lived up to their expectations.
Following a 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday, eliminating their opponents four games to one, James declared he owed it to the fans after sealing the team’s first place in a Western Conference final in a decade.
Ensuring they’ll match the Los Angeles Clippers or Denver Nuggets, the three-time NBA champion said, “I know what my name is, my height, and what I’ve done in this league when I decide to join. a franchise.
“I know what comes with my name. And it comes with winning. I take that responsibility to the fullest.”
The star forward now has a chance to help the Lakers win their 17th championship, equaling the league record of rivals Boston Celtics, and he’s desperate for one of the most storied franchises in the game to regain his stature.
“The reason I wanted to be a part of this franchise is to take them back to a place that they were used to. And that’s competing for a championship,” said James, who led his team with 29 points. “It is an honor for me to wear the purple and gold (jersey) and for us to try to continue the legacy and play great basketball for our fans.
“Every game is a learning experience for us. Every game is another opportunity to improve. We want to keep building.”
As the Lakers go from strength to strength, the Rockets will spend the rest of the closed season wondering if they can ever make it to the NBA Finals, in which they last starred 25 years ago, again.
Houston, which was led by 30 points from James Harden, the game’s high, lost its fourth straight game, leading to speculation that coach Mike D’Antoni’s contract, which expires at the end of the season, will not be renovated.
Insinuating that his time was probably up, he said, “We’ll see what happens. I was four years old.”
FRANCE MEDIA AGENCY
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