LeBron James 'Almost Cracked' After Lakers' Poor Start, Admits It Was Needed

‪ LeBron James made the switch to the Los Angeles Lakers from the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer. The latter under the 14-time All-Star had made four straight NBA Final appearances, but his current team are anything but title contenders.

The Lakers have not made the playoffs in the last five consecutive campaigns. They are keen to change that and hence the signing of James during the summer, and the addition of veterans such as Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and most recently Tyson Chandler.

The Los Angeles team’s start, however, was not the best as they lost their opening three games of the campaign and their first home game ended in Rondo and youngster Brandon Ingram getting ejected for throwing punches.

James made it clear early in the campaign that "patience" is key for him this season as it is a young team looking to gel and become a cohesive unit. But the three-time NBA champion was not happy with some of the team’s performances and was serious when he told CBS Sports’ Reid Forgrave: "You probably don't want to be around when my patience runs out. I’m Serious!”

The Lakers leader has now revealed that he almost cracked “last week” but got himself together and reminded him that it is a process that will take longer than just a few games. Their poor start also coincided with reports that coach Luke Walton’s job was at risk, but the president of basketball operations Magic Johnson made it clear it was not the case.

"I haven't changed anything outwardly, but you know me. You know how I am. I almost cracked [last week]. I had to sit back and remind myself, '[Expletive], you knew what you were getting yourself into,'" James told Yahoo Sports after Saturday's win in Sacramento. "This process has been good for me. I just have to continue being patient."

‪ "I had to regroup and remember this is a young team," the former Cavaliers small forward added. "We're playing some good ball right now and we're starting to build some good habits. That's all that matters right now.”

The Lakers’ form has drastically improved since James’ ultimatum on Oct. 29 – following their loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Staples Center franchise has since lost just one of their last six games with their only loss coming at the hands of the in-form Toronto Raptors, who are leading the Eastern Conference.

Chandler’s arrival as a free agent after the Phoenix Suns bought out the final year of his contract earlier this month seems to have made a difference, as they have gone three games without defeat with the veteran center in the team. He even made a game-winning block in the final seconds of their 107-106 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.