LeBron James questions Lakers' 'sense of urgency' after team collects 30th loss of the season

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James expressed frustration following his team’s 128-115 loss against the Anthony Davis-less New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, citing a number of growing pains affecting the team’s playoffs hopes.

Christian Rivas of Silver Screen and Roll captured James’ postgame remarks in the locker room, and the Akron native was brutally honest when discussing the Lakers’ recent defeat.

“Everyone’s so accustomed to the losses that I’m just not accustomed to,” he said. “I’m not accustomed to it, I’d never get comfortable with losing. Losing game one to Houston, it feels the same way as losing game 59 in New Orleans, for me. That’s just how I’m built. That’s who I am.”

James also spoke about the development of the game, and implied that his colleagues don’t arrive on game days with the mental and physical preparation necessary for a win.

“It’s how you approach the game every day,” James said. “It’s how you think the game every day, it’s how you play the game, it’s how you prepare for the game, and that’s not even like, when you get to the arena. That’s like way before that.

“Basketball: If that’s not the most important thing, then why we doing this?”

Saturday’s loss also marks the first time a LeBron James-led team has fell below .500 at this point in the year since his sophomore season in 2004-2005, and the three-time champion attributed the squad’s mediocrity as a catalyst for its misfortune. He continued his remarks by saying the Lakers must develop an attitude of being uncomfortable.

“So you got to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he said. “So I’m not saying that’s what we are as a whole. It kind of looks that way at times, that sometimes we’re afraid to be uncomfortable and kind of get out of our comfort zone and kind of, you know, have that sense of urgency from the jump, and not be afraid to actually go out and fail to succeed. So I mean, we have, what — 23 games left? We’ll see what happens.”

Saturday’s loss to the Pelicans puts the Lakers at 3.5 games from the eighth seed in the Western Conference, which Rivas noted is the furthest the team has been out of playoff contention since November. James & company tip off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, who are coming off a 112-107 loss against LeBron James’ former team the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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