In terms of playoff appearances added above expected, …
In terms of playoff appearances added above expected, …
HoopsHypeWed, May 13, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC
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In terms of playoff appearances added above expected, …
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Through 2025-26, LeBron has played eight seasons with the Lakers. Within our sample going back to 1983-84, we actually have three other distinct eight-season eras of Lakers basketball: the Showtime era (1984-1991), the Kobe/Shaq era (1997-2004) and the Kobe/Pau era (2007-2014), reflecting the years both stars played together — or in Magic’s case, the years leading up to his initial retirement in 1991 due to contracting HIV. For each of those eight-year periods, we can run a similar audit for the Lakers’ performance above/below expectations in the regular season and playoffs, and compare with LeBron’s L.A. tenure. Here is where we begin to see why the Lakers’ LeBron era feels a bit less successful and satisfying than it appears to be on paper. In terms of playoff appearances added above expected, the King James Lakers actually outperformed any of their predecessors. But they fell well short in the departments of Finals appearances and Finals victories versus expected, sitting a full ring below the Shaq/Kobe era and 2.3 Finals appearances short of the Showtime era.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: In terms of playoff appearances added above expected, …
Source: “AOL Sports”
