There is not much to say that hasn’t already been said about LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers star has been at the forefront of national conversation for two decades, yet he continues to smash records and break pre-conceived notions of Father Time. All with immensely bright spotlights on him the entire way.
James joined the Lakers in the summer of 2018, leaving the Eastern Conference for the first time in a career that had already seen him compile three championships, four MVPs and nine NBA Finals appearances. At the time, many felt his move to the Lakers was waving the white flag on team success. He instantly silenced that by winning the NBA championship in 2020.
And he has remained at the height of his game in the years since, leading the Lakers to three more postseason berths, including a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. Because of that, there were high hopes for James and company heading into 2023-24.
James, as an individual, was phenomenal. He averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists on 54.0% from the field and a career-high 41.0% from three. He earned an All-Star selection — his 20th in a row — and All-NBA Third Team honors, also his 20th in a row.
He played in 71 games, higher than each of the last five seasons. In short, James found a way — even in Year 21 — to be an emotional and physical leader for his ball club. And he doubled down on that by leading Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
2023-24 highlight
It’s nearly impossible to find a standout performance in a career full of them for James. But it’s a pair of triple-doubles that took the cake in 2023-24. On Jan. 27 against the Golden State Warriors, James led the team to a narrow victory behind 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists while playing 47 minutes.
On April 14 — the last day of the season — the Lakers steamrolled the New Orleans Pelicans to secure a Play-In Tournament rematch by posting 28 points, 11 rebounds and a whopping 17 assists.
2024-25 outlook
Similar to his co-star in Anthony Davis, James’ 2024-25 season largely hinges on health. He has missed plenty of time over the last four seasons, and it has undoubtedly hurt the Lakers in the standings. With the Olympics, it would not be surprising to see James take some extra games off, but if he can still reach that 65-game award threshold, perhaps the Lakers can have a fighting chance to escape the Play-In Tournament outright.
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