LeBron James 'disappointed' Lakers didn't get Kyrie

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said on Monday that his focus has shifted since he initially felt "disappointed" that his team did not acquire former teammate Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets over the weekend.

Irving, a veteran guard who had a rocky tenure with the Nets, wound up going to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

During an interview Monday with ESPN's Michael Wilbon, James said, "I can't sit here and say I'm not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent, but (also) someone that I had great chemistry with, and know I got great chemistry with on the floor, that can help you win championships, in my mind, in my eyes. But my focus is shifted now. My focus is shifted back to where it should be, and that's this club now and what we have in the locker room."

James, 38, is a four-time NBA champion. One of those titles came with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 with Irving as a teammate.

This season, the Lakers (25-29) are struggling in their bid for a playoff spot. They entered Monday as the 13th of 15 teams in the Western Conference.

Focus on team

James may be on the verge of breaking one of the most coveted records in sports, but his teammates said his focus is on helping the Lakers climb in the standings and not the 36 points he needs to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

The mood was relaxed as practice wrapped up on a sun-soaked Southern California day, but the large number of reporters on hand made it clear that excitement to see James surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's tally of 38,387 points was intensifying.

"It's exciting," Lakers guard Austin Reaves said. "You are not going to see this for a while. Someone who's able to play for this long and be as productive as he's been since day one.

"Everybody is excited for him, but we're still trying to win games and hopefully we do that the same night he breaks the record."

The Lakers are 25-29 and 13th in the Western Conference standings but just four games off the number four seed.

James, who is averaging 30 points a game in his 20th season, will get his first chance at the historic accomplishment on Wednesday when the Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If he comes up short, he will have another opportunity to reach the mountaintop at home on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

"At the end of the day he's not going to change the way he plays, he just wants to win games," Reaves said. "So if it happens tomorrow or if it happens the next game, as long as we're winning, I think that's the main thing that he's worried about."

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said James, who declined to speak to reporters on Monday, has tuned out the noise.

"He's aware of it, obviously, but he hasn't been caught up in it," he said. "His biggest thing is to win games."

Ham said he expects the atmosphere inside Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night to be "electric."

"Everyone will be on the edge of their seats." he said. "It's good for the Lakers, good for the NBA and a hell of an accomplishment for LeBron, who has done it while playing the right way."

Agencies