Technically speaking, the Lakers are still playoff-eligible, in that they’ve yet to lose the requisite amount of games for mathematical elimination. Now 6½ games behind the Spurs and Clippers, the team has become the equivalent of a patient on life support with family gathered in vigil, grimly aware impending death is probably for the best. But while an early finish means the Lakers’ streak of missed playoffs will be extended to six, another significant run will simultaneously end.
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After 13 consecutive postseasons, LeBron James will be a playoff spectator.
It’s a turn of events not witnessed since 2005, when LeBron was just 20 trying to squeeze the most out of a decidedly unimpressive Cleveland roster. If that feels like a lifetime ago, it’s because at the world’s operating speed it basically is. A lot has happened over 13 years, in the NBA and outside of it, putting in perspective just how impressive LeBron’s run has been.
For example …
• In 2005, the Phoenix Suns led the NBA with 110.4 points per game. In 2019, that places you just inside the top 20. Phoenix was also first with 24.7 3-point attempts per game. (The next closest with 22.2 3PA? The Seattle SuperSonics.) That now barely qualifies for 30th in the NBA. Suns guard Quentin Richardson was co-leader for 3-pointers with 226. By season’s end, James Harden could best that by 150. Phoenix topped the pace stat at 95.9 possessions per 48 minutes, per Basketball Reference’s metrics. By their math, no team plays that slow anymore. Literally, none.
We witnessed a revolution, led by Mike D’Antoni and Steve Nash (who won the first of back-to-back MVPs), that prioritized spacing, speed and small-ball mismatches. Traditionalists mocked the Suns as a one-trick pony, but the groundwork for today’s NBA was being laid before our eyes. In a roundabout way, the Suns also influenced NBA analytics, well before advanced data was part of the mainstream conversation.
• The Spurs defeated the Pistons for the NBA championship, with Tim Duncan named Finals MVP. Duncan would go on to win two more championships (both at LeBron’s expense), but never again the individual trophy, indicative of his flexibility that would help sustain San Antonio for another decade-plus.
• Of the 15 All-NBA players in 2005, only LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki are still in the league. Of the rookies drafted for the 2005 season, only seven were on 2019 rosters. (Special props to Trevor Ariza for outlasting the majority of the field as a second-rounder.)
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• The NBA’s oldest current player, Vince Carter, was playing his first season with the New Jersey Nets after requesting a trade. In 2005, “Air Canada” in anything other than a Raptors uniform felt like an unfathomable sight. He’s since worn six other jerseys.
• David Stern was still the NBA commissioner, and we were still over a year away from Adam Silver’s promotion to Deputy Commissioner. While watching the 2005 playoffs, Silver was the President and COO of NBA Entertainment, likely anonymous to most NBA fans.
• The last day of LeBron’s season coincided with the last day of a 73-game suspension for the artist formerly known as Ron Artest, who had become the NBA’s most controversial figure over his role in “The Malice at the Palace.” Another result of that brawl came in October 2005 when the league adopted a player dress code. Fairly controversial in its own right, this measure unexpectedly morphed into the current fashion-forward vibe. (In the meantime, Artest’s Pacers teammate, Reggie Miller, retired after the 2005 season.)
• Charlotte concluded its first return season to the NBA, albeit as the Bobcats, since their original Hornets nickname was being used by New Orleans. But the Hornets soon had serious problems of their own. In August of 2005, President George W. Bush, not even a year into his second term, faced one of his biggest crises with Hurricane Katrina. The storm left New Orleans devastated, and forced the Hornets to play the majority of “home games” in Oklahoma City for two seasons. (As for future presidents, Barack Obama was three months into a term as a U.S. senator during the 2005 playoffs, while Donald Trump was wrapping up Season 3 of “The Apprentice” and opening the since-defunct Trump University.)
• There was no “NBA Twitter,” since the company wasn’t founded until 2006. In fact, we were closer to a previous game-changer for basketball consumption — Charles Barkley joining “Inside the NBA” in 2001 — than any effects of social media now considered an essential part of the NBA experience. Moreover, highlights weren’t on YouTube, which just uploaded its first video. Even NBA blog culture was fairly undeveloped in 2005. Basketball would eventually become the best thing about sports and the internet, but that impending union wasn’t readily obvious yet.
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• And finally, bringing things full circle with the Lakers, 2005 marked the only pre-Achilles season that Kobe Bryant missed the playoffs. Interestingly, that season shared much of the present drama. Coaching chaos, as Rudy Tomjanovich resigned halfway through the year. Controversial roster additions, with Lamar Odom and Caron Butler subbing for Shaquille O’Neal. A slew of injuries, including to Kobe. Terrible defense. Questions about the franchise’s direction. As an added bonus, Luke Walton was even part of the team!
But it’s not just the NBA that’s dramatically changed since 2005. The world as we know it is now radically different. Case(s) in point …
• Roughly a month after LeBron’s season ended, the “Star Wars” franchise, still a Fox property, released its third installment of the prequels. June saw the release of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (aka, “the movie that birthed ‘Brangelina'”) and Christian Bale’s first appearance as Batman. In July, a largely unknown actor named Chris Evans — who appeared a year earlier in “The Perfect Score” with Darius Miles! — entered the Marvel universe … as the Human Torch in a critically savaged “Fantastic Four” movie. Back when Marvel movies weren’t a particularly big thing, mind you. And “Space Jam” — being remade this summer by LeBron — hadn’t even turned 10.
• Television shows debuting in 2005 include “Dancing With the Stars,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Criminal Minds” and the American version of “The Office.”
• As the 2005 playoffs commenced, the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 was 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop.” The song was eventually displaced by “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani (the first single to generate 1 million digital downloads). Other chart-toppers that year included Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” and “Gold Digger” by Kanye West.
• And speaking of Ye, the rapper was way more famous than his future better half. In 2005, the world had a vague idea, at best, of what a Kardashian was. Maybe the name rang a bell for those who closely followed O.J. Simpson’s murder trial or kept tabs on Paris Hilton’s inner circle. For everyone else, we’re still two years from Kim’s … ahem … home video making the rounds, much less the sisters becoming synonymous with NBA dating (or even marrying).
For all the hype generated by Khloe with Lamar and Tristan, or Kendall with Ben and Blake, it was Kim turning Kris Humphries into a household name that truly reflected this family’s celebrity. Because again, I remind you, he’s Kris Humphries. It may seem obvious now that 21-year-old Kylie Jenner would become the world’s youngest self-made billionaire. But in 2005, she was just a little girl in Calabasas with big dreams of overcoming humble beginnings. Just like all of them.
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• Destiny’s Child announced they were breaking up after the conclusion of their 2005 tour.
• Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah’s couch to declare his love for Katie Holmes.
• The Washington Nationals debuted.
• MySpace, social media’s early kind, attempted to purchase Facebook, but co-founder Chris DeWolfe chafed at Mark Zuckberg’s asking price of $75 million.
• And finally, this political party was launched.
Again, all of this took place between the last time LeBron failed to reach the playoffs and now. That’s just astonishing.
Yes, there are questions that now lie ahead for a suddenly chaotic franchise. And yes, James deserves some criticism for his role in this disappointment. But that 13-year run remains nothing short of remarkable. It’s worth a moment of recognition.
Top photo of LeBron James: Sean M. Haffe / Getty Images