'LeBron Has Left the Building': The Internet Dunks on LeBron After Lakers Miss the Playoffs

Warner Todd HustonApril 6, 2022

The L.A. Lakers will miss the playoffs for the second year in a row after “King James” and his team fell to the Phoenix Suns.

On Tuesday, the Lakers lost to the Suns 121-110, with LeBron riding the bench due to an ankle injury.

The last time the Lakers won the finals was in 2020. Now, the team will miss the playoffs for the seventh time in the last nine seasons. More to the point, it is the second time the Lakers were tossed from the playoffs in LeBron James’ four seasons with the team.

After the game, Lakers coach Frank Vogel said he was, “Extremely disappointed. Disappointed for our fan base. Disappointed for the Buss family.”

The loss sent many to Twitter to scoff at “King James” and to mock the Lakers for its ignominious retreat from the playoffs:

The NBA playoffs are better without LeBron James.

— Nick Adams (@NickAdamsinUSA) April 6, 2022

LeBron James has now missed the playoffs twice as many times as Michael Jordan.

— BossHogg (@6Hogg6) April 6, 2022

The Los Angeles Lakers have been eliminated from playoff contention…

“Anthony Davis is getting older, LeBron will be in his 20th year and Westbrook is shot… No tweak is going to fix this.” — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/SSoPf3EWTL

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 6, 2022

The Lakers have 48 losses this season.

The most by a LeBron James team ever. pic.twitter.com/S2YV3T6PrA

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 6, 2022

Lebron goat??? pic.twitter.com/71tObbx1AZ

— 13ὁ (@OwnHimPG) April 6, 2022

Skip Bayless tearing apart Lebron’s legacy tomorrow: pic.twitter.com/zj4f1lsiPl

— SSB🏴‍☠️ (@SSBurner_) April 6, 2022

Stephen Curry led his team to a 37-26 record and the 8th seed with a roster that consisted of eight g-leaguers, and had Kent Bazemore as a starter.

Lebron James couldn’t even make the play-in with a team that was favorites to win the title coming into the season. pic.twitter.com/WO1xECUJkd

— StephMuse (@stephmuse30) April 6, 2022

LeBron and the gang next week pic.twitter.com/C5qwQGSd1X

— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) April 6, 2022

LeBron had enough pic.twitter.com/16bcTaDoOY

— Overtime (@overtime) April 6, 2022

LeBron since joining the Lakers:

2019 – MISSES PLAYOFFS 😂
2020 – MICKEY MOUSE “RING”
2021 – LOSES IN FIRST ROUND 😭
2022 – MISSES PLAYOFFS..AGAIN Ὀ

Ladies & gentleman… the “King of LA” 👑 pic.twitter.com/xkob49RSMG

— Miguel Jordán (@PettyAirJordan) April 6, 2022

LeBron thought he was Steph 😭 pic.twitter.com/Pe7mIWUkMH

— Guru (@DrGuru_) April 6, 2022

The media: “LeBron has left the building”

*Checks the game* pic.twitter.com/vHLToPfmBW

— Masked 🎭 (@MaskedLBJ) April 6, 2022

LeBron’s first 4 years in LA:
2018-19: Missed Playoffs
2019-20: Bubble Ring
2020-21: First round exit
2021-22: Missed Playoffs

It’s becoming more evident by the season that the bubble was nothing more than an aberration and a fluke and should be treated as an outlier season pic.twitter.com/V13jwXxXgj

— DeAndre Williams (@PrimeDree) April 6, 2022