LeBron James hit with harsh reality check as Lakers struggle: 'It hasn't sunk in'

It’s evident that LeBron James isn’t the same player he was two years ago, let alone five years ago as he continues to try to find his place in the Los Angeles Lakers’ offense this season.

James scored 36 points on Dec. 20 against the Los Angeles Clippers, 23 points against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 23, and added 18 points on Thursday night against the Houston Rockets. However, the Lakers lost each of those games and James’ plus-minus figures got worse with each game. He was minus-33 in Los Angeles’ 119-96 loss to Houston.

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Sam Mitchell, a former NBA forward with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers who also coached in the league for the T'Wolves and Toronto Raptors, said this week on SiriusXM NBA Radio that James, who is about to be 41, wouldn’t even be option No. 1 for the Washington Wizards at this point.

"This is what LeBron doesn’t understand. It hasn’t sunk in," Mitchell said. "Whatever team you go to, you’re the third option. You’re not going to a team when you’re the first option anymore. If you went to the Washington Wizards, you would still not be the No. 1 option."

The Wizards are tied for the worst record in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers.

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Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who was especially upset with his team’s performance against the Rockets, suggested on Saturday that James is becoming a problem for the offense.

"Since we’ve gotten Bron back, we haven’t been as organized offensively. Too many random possessions. That’s on me. It’s those three things: defensive clarity, role clarity and offensive organization," Redick said.

The Lakers are 19-10 on the season and have lost six of their last 10 games.

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Packers fan pushes Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers during TD celebration

A Green Bay Packers fan was seen pushing Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers after the player performed his own rendition of the Lambeau Leap.

Flowers scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Huntley in the fourth quarter to help push the Ravens’ lead to 10 points. The Pro Bowl wide receiver found a Ravens fan sitting in a sea of yellow and green and jumped into the stands to celebrate the score.

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The Packers fan sitting next to the Ravens supporter pushed Flowers out of the stands and back onto the field. A security officer who was near the barrier between the field and the fans scolded the Packers backer. It didn’t immediately appear that the incident escalated from there.

The incident comes nearly a week after a Detroit Lions fan was involved in an altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf. The Steelers star was seen taking a swing at the fan who heckled him. Metcalf was suspended for two games over the incident.

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There is still a mystery over what was said that sparked the incident. The reports indicated that derogatory and racial remarks were hurled toward Metcalf. But the fan said at a press conference earlier this week no such remarks were made.

Ravens star Lamar Jackson was involved in a fan incident at Highmark Stadium during a game against the Buffalo Bills. He pushed a fan back into his seat after the fan slapped the helmets of Ravens players. The fan was reportedly indefinitely banned from all NFL stadiums.

Meanwhile, the Ravens defeated the Packers on Saturday night and kept their playoff hopes alive.

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