Over the past two seasons, Lakers Exceptionalists around the world have again been spoiled by a sudden return to glory more commonly experienced during the first half of this millennium. In the five years between Kobe Bryant’s Achilles injury and LeBron James’ deliverance, however, the Lakers failed to even make the playoffs once, winning just 126 of 410 games, fewer than any other NBA franchise.
These miserable seasons were marked by a series of gaffes and fumbles of such an embarrassing nature it would have been impossible to imagine them coming from the prestigious purple and gold just a few seasons prior.