Dear NBA Fans, We Were Wrong
Well, it happened.
The Lakers lost to the Suns 121–110 and, with that, have officially been eliminated from Play-in Tournament contention.
I’ve already written countless articles on the Lakers and their struggles this season, so I’ll keep this one brief: The vast majority of Laker fans, including myself, were wrong.
We were wrong about this Westbrook experiment working. We were wrong about all the success we would attain. We were wrong — unbelievably wrong now — that we would raise banner #18 at season’s end.
This all just goes to show how your expectations can differ from reality. I personally believed that, even if it took a while, this team would click and we’d be ready just in time for the playoffs. We’d be able to go toe-to-toe with the best in the West with one of the greatest players of all time, a triple-double machine of a point guard, and a big man who dominates when healthy. However, for a multitude of reasons both on and off the court, none of those beliefs came to fruition.
Laker fans can blame themselves for getting all excited about this year, but there’s nothing wrong with all the hype. Most of us expected picture-perfect play from LeBron, AD, and Russ. We expected our role players to thrive off the bench, even if most of them were getting up there in age. And of course, we expected that Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of it all.
Maybe it’s because our expectations were too high (as they typically are for this team) that we’re facing this harsh reality of not making the playoffs. These lofty expectations that we put out into the world, as well as their eventual failures, are the reason why Laker fans are being ridiculed over and over again — not just tonight, but in the coming months as well. And, just as we’ve done this entire season, we’ll have to roll with the punches.
So yes, NBA world, us Laker faithful were wrong and you can rejoice at our expense. But make no mistake. We’re still undeniably loyal to this franchise and still expect greatness and another banner in those rafters. We may have been wrong about a “championship season” this year, but it’s only a matter of time before we’re proven right again.
