Los Angeles Lakers Will ‘Shut Down’ LeBron For Rest Of Season

LeBron James’ first season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers has been an unmitigated nightmare. Before it began, there were expectations of a deep playoff run and even contention for the NBA Championship. No one–least of all LeBron himself–expected it to end like this. The Lakers have announced that they are ‘shutting down’ LeBron for the rest of the season and he will sit out the team’s remaining six games.

A statement from Lakers’ President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson was almost shockingly blunt:

“After consulting with our team doctors and medical staff, we have decided to hold LeBron out of games for the remainder of the season. This decision will allow his groin to fully heal, and is best for the future success of both LeBron and the Lakers.”

It’s clearly the smart move but serves as an emphatic punctuation mark that so far the LeBron to the Lakers move was one of the huge ‘grease fires’ in NBA history. For all of his accomplishments, LeBron was not without blame–at one point, the team held a players only meeting trying to get ‘King James’ to quit reacting so viscerally to his teammates mistakes.

According to head coach Luke Walton, LeBron wanted to keep playing but was finally convinced to shut it down:

“He wants to play. My understanding from the medical staff, they finally said, ‘Look, it’s just not worth it anymore. Let’s make sure you have a healthy summer.’ So that’s the decision that was made, and we’ll move forward without him on the floor for the final six.”

Walton was then asked the obvious question–why didn’t this happen sooner?

“Well, I think that goes back to him wanting to compete. Even though it’s over, he wants to be out there playing with his guys. Eventually, as that time goes on and on, it’s easier to tell someone like that, ‘Let’s take care of your health right now.’ So that’s kind of how the decision came.”

Coach Walton hopes that there will be an upside to LeBron’s absence:

“It’s going to make it a challenge, but you know, it can be exciting if guys step up. This group, it’s been fun, for where we’re at, it’s been fun to coach this group lately, and the way they’ve been playing out there. LeBron’s been a key part of that. We’ll have to figure some things out differently, but again, everyone’s getting a chance to play and try to help us win some more games.”

While the Lakers’ season is over the real fireworks will begin this Summer when management will ‘blow up’ the team trying to put a contender around LeBron. With the possible exception of Rajon Rondo no one is safe–and Rondo isn’t even signed for another season yet.