EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Lost in the fallout from the Los Angeles Lakers' 0-2 road trip through New Orleans and Memphis was the declaration of accountability LeBron James put upon himself.
"Starts with me," he said after the loss to the Grizzlies on Monday, as the Lakers fell three games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. "I just got to stay positive."
There was a noticeable shift in the four-time MVP's demeanor in Memphis, contrasted to the previous game against the Pelicans - a loss so dispiriting that teammate Kyle Kuzma openly questioned the consistency of the team's body language, a not-so-veiled reference to James.