LeBron James says the Lakers' season wasn't a failure, gets ripped on TV

The Los Angeles Lakers were the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season. They couldn’t even reach the play-in tournament and made the news for their poor play throughout the whole campaign.

Frank Vogel paid the price and was relieved of his duties at the end of the season. Most free agents aren’t expected to come back, and they pretty much wasted an MVP-caliber season from their best player.

But even despite all that, LeBron James still feels like the season wasn’t a failure. Per the 37-year-old superstar, they worked hard every single day, which is why people can’t say they failed.

LeBron James Says The Lakers’ Season Wasn’t A Failure

“I mean it’s not a failure,” James said in his exit interview. “We came to work every day this season, put our hard hats on, we tried to get better every day and the results just didn’t happen for us. But it’s not a failure.”

Stephen A. Smith Calls Out LeBron For His Words On The Season

Needless to say, the fans weren’t buying that self-help book phrase. James’ corny words did little to appease those who criticized the Lakers, including ESPN’s analyst Stephen A. Smith, who had plenty to say about it:

“Come on, LeBron… Yo Bron, Bronny’s watching bro,” Smith started. “Your family’s watching. The basketball world is watching. How could you say something so flagrantly untrue? How could you say that? Come on bro, you’re better than that.”

“LeBron James is one of the greatest players this game has ever seen,” he continued. “My brother, we will miss you when you are gone… 19 years in, your 19th year in the league, you averaged 30. You flat-out balled.”

“You finished 16 games under .500 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers,” Smith explained. “A place where you came to win championships, just to fulfill what others before you had done. Kobe and Shaq and everybody in between. You finished 16 games under .500. In a playoff system that’s gone from 8 teams per conference to 10 teams per conference, you still missed the playoffs. And that’s not a failure? You gotta be kidding me.”

Competitors like LeBron James will never admit they dropped the ball, and that’s fine. That’s their nature. But finishing way below .500 and not even making the playoffs is a failure for every team, let alone the winningest franchise in NBA history.