“Even six months into his first season as a Laker, James isn’t yet a Laker. The fans don’t consider him family. His team doesn’t consider him their leader. His lack of physical and emotional investment in the basketball portion of his great Los Angeles adventure is paying the sad dividends of a man who, on the court, appears very much distant and alone.

“This truth was obvious Wednesday not only in the weird environment, but on that colorful scoreboard, where nearly all of his highlights were accomplished in the uniforms of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.

“His records are not Lakers records. His greatness is not yet Lakers greatness. He may have scored more points than Jordan, but he is going to fail to lead his first Lakers team even into the playoffs, and that’s all that matters to this town.”

Bill Plaschke, L.A. Times