LeBron James: Has the NBA Star Threatened to Leave Struggling Lakers?

• LeBron James has said he wants to win following another painful LA Lakers defeat
• James turns 38 soon and he may miss the playoffs for the second season in a row
• Lakers are currently 14-21 and 13th in the West, and are 4-9 from their last 13 games

LeBron James' latest comments are an indication that all is not well for the Los Angeles Lakers, following the team's latest setback in the NBA.

Darvin Ham's team have now lost nine of their last 13 games and five of their last six. They missed the playoffs entirely last season and if their current run goes on, they will surely miss out again.

In their latest game, they lost 112-98 to the Miami Heat. They turned the ball over 26 times during the game and trailed by as much as 22 in another painful defeat.

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James scored 27 points, adding nine rebounds and six assists.

Since Anthony Davis went down with an injury on December 17, the Lakers have struggled and have gone 2-5. They are now 14-21 and 13th in the West.

Multiple reports have indicated the 29-year-old star will return sometime in January.

The Lakers are three games behind a play-in spot, and missing the playoffs for the third time in five seasons since James arrived is a real possibility.

James makes curious remarks

After the Lakers lost to his former team, the 37-year-old isn't sure how long he has in the NBA.

He reiterated his desire to win at all costs, a comment which may be directed at the Lakers' front office, per CBS Sports.

"I'm a winner and I want to win. I want to win and give myself a chance to win, and still compete for championships. That's always been my passion and goal since I entered the league as an 18-year-old kid."

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James turns 38 in a few days and the window for him to win ring number five is gradually closing.

He says he wants to play with a purpose, since he doesn't know what will happen in the next few years.

"Playing basketball at this level, just to be playing basketball, is not in my DNA."

James is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA all-time scoring list, and ESPN predicts the former Cleveland Cavaliers legend will pass the retired player sometime in February.

James addresses Lakers struggles

Sports Brief earlier reported on James addressing the Lakers' struggles in the NBA, after a poor run since Davis went down with an injury.

He said losing their centre to injury means they are losing a lot of size and offense, given Davis was beginning to impress again.

Before he was injured, Davis was averaging 27.4 points and 12.1 rebounds this season, the best totals of his four seasons with the Lakers in the association.