After such a tumultuous season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention following their loss to the Phoenix Suns, 121-110 Tuesday night.
While some on Twitter started to hypothesize what moves the team should make for next season, many across the social media platform decided it was the perfect time to let off some relentless jokes.
However, the icing on the cake was when fans ripped James over his April Fools tweet about sitting out for the rest of the season. Now, barring an appearance in Los Angeles' last few games, it seems like The King has got his wish--whether he wanted it to come true or not.
The Lakers began the season as the favorite to win the Western Conference, surrounded by the excitement that was generated once the team got Russell Westbrook on the roster to form a new ‘Big 3’ alongside James and Anthony Davis. This experiment has failed in large part due to Westbrook's steep decline and injuries that limited Davis and James' time on the court.
The loss to Phoenix ends James' remarkable 16 straight playoff appearances which started all the way back in his third year in the NBA during the 2005-06 season.
To say there will be another massive roster shift underway in La La Land would be a huge understatement. GM Rob Pelinka seems to be getting a head start as rumors have circulated before Tuesday's game that head coach Frank Vogel is reportedly going to be fired after LA's final game of the season against the Denver Nuggets.
Just to add some more fuel to the fire, their in-town rivals the Clippers had similar injury issues with their stars, having no Kawhi Leonard this entire season and Paul George only playing in 29 games. The Clippers were still able to keep themselves in postseason contention behind a deep bench and a gritty play on the floor.
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Follow Jasper Jones on Twitter: @jonesj2342
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