LeBron James has been part of the Lakers for a long time now. He has led the side to the 2020 NBA championship. But it has not been a success all the way for the team and the star. They struggled a lot for the next couple of seasons. Last season, they could not make the postseason. But this season, the Lakers have gone through a see-saw kind of emotions. They were nowhere near the top six at the beginning of the season. Later, they managed to climb up the table gradually.
Then they came very close to the 6th seed but could not hold onto a streak. They were finally settling down for a 7th seed finish. They have to beat the Timberwolves in the play-in round to proceed further. But it did not look like an easy task. In the regular season, the Lakers and the Timberwolves had met twice and won one and lost one each. However, the Lakers beat the Timberwolves 108-102 in the play-in round.
Fans Take A Dig At Brooks
The Lakers will meet the Grizzlies next at the playoffs on Sunday, April 16, 2023. This matchup will be intriguing because there have been a lot of discussions between experts about the result of the game. Charles Barkley suggests the Lakers will beat the Memphis franchise. Barkley further predicts, “Forget about LeBron James; Anthony Davis will eat the Grizzlies alive.” On the other hand, Dillon Brooks of the Grizzlies challenged James for a matchup in the first round of the playoffs.
Dillon Brooks: “I wouldn’t mind playing LeBron in a 7-game series.”
— Mark Giannotto (@mgiannotto) April 11, 2023
Why?
“The legacy is there. First time back in the playoffs, knock him out right away in the first round. It’ll test us good. They got good pieces, good players, and that’ll be a good 1st round matchup for us.”
The Canadian mentioned, “I won’t mind meeting LeBron James and the Lakers in round 1 of the playoffs. We will knock them out, plus it will test us well.” He gave this challenge before the play-in encounter between the Lakers and the Timberwolves. But now the 27-year-old Brooks got his wish. The Grizzlies will meet LeBron’s army on Sunday at FedExForum in Memphis. The fans have taken to social media to troll the Canadian for his pompous attitude.
LeBron James And The Lakers Look Stronger Than Ever
LeBron James had a season of ups and downs this year. He broke the 38-year-old all-time scoring record in early February. In late February, James hurt his foot and stayed away from the lineup and the court for almost a month. But LeBron James came back at the right time to help his team right before the regular season was about to get over. However, the Lakers could not finish in the top six despite trying really hard. They had to go through the play-in matchup against the Minnesota franchise.
Now, they are off to Memphis to meet the Grizzlies on Sunday. It will be an epic showdown in the first round of the playoffs. After Brook’s challenge, things just got a bit more interesting. The Lakers have proved that they don’t shy away from replying to the tantrums thrown their way. Like what happened with the “small celebration” of Pat Beverley. Not only Reaves but the whole squad looks to be capable of firing back. The fans and everybody waits for Sunday’s showdown.