LeBron James has struggled to hit last-second shots throughout his Los Angeles Lakers tenure.
According to ESPN’s Get Up, James has shot 1-for-29 on go-ahead or game-tying field goal attempts within the final five seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime since joining the Lakers in 2018.
James missed a pair of potential game-tying threes near the end of Los Angeles’ 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer still finished with 26 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal while shooting 10-22 from the field.
While James hasn’t been able to connect on shots within the final five seconds of close games, his overall clutch production has been impressive.
The NBA defines clutch time as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points. James has averaged a team-high 2.9 points per game in clutch scenarios this season, shooting 50 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point territory (via NBA.com).
The 40-year-old’s time with the Lakers has been successful. He’s led them to four playoff appearances, including a 2020 NBA Finals victory. Los Angeles currently sits at 32-21, owning the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings.
The Lakers appeared poised to contend for another postseason berth, but James hasn’t been able to find any consistency on his last-second shot attempts in close games.
