LeBron James in worst scoring slump in 21 years

LeBron James finished with 12 points (5-of-13 shooting) in the Los Angeles Lakers' 101-93 loss to the Thunder in Friday's NBA Cup tie.

As a result, James extended his streak of games under 20 points to four. 

The last time that happened? 

One has to go back to a four-game stretch during his rookie season in 2003-04 when James scored 19, four, eight and 18 from Dec. 2 and Dec. 9, 2003. James endured two more such streaks, both in his first year.

In recent seasons, the only time he went even three games without scoring 20+ points came during the 2020-21 campaign. "The King" scored 10, 16 and 19 over a three-game stretch between March 20, 2021, and May 2, 2021 (after returning from an ankle injury). Similarly, during the 2015-16 season, James scored 19, 16 and 17 points over a three-game stretch between Jan. 15 and Jan. 16, 2016. 

During his ongoing four-game slump, James is shooting a paltry 42 percent from the field and 17 percent from three. Even worse, he's averaging over 5.0 turnovers while routinely making uncharacteristic mistakes. In Friday's loss, for example, James shot 1-of-5 from the field and made two critical turnovers in the fourth quarter, derailing the Lakers' chances of mounting a comeback. 

As expected, James' struggles have hurt the Lakers' chances of winning. JJ Redick's team is 1-3 during his four-game slump and 1-4 over its last five games. NBA analyst Jason Timpf highlighted that James' jump-shooting woes date back to the last eight games. During this period, James is 12-of-42 on all jump shots.