Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has served as the face of the NBA for decades now and has shown no signs of slowing down despite being in Year 22.
James entered the 2024-25 season looking fresh but has turned back the clock the past couple of months as he tries to get the Lakers in position to win another championship. James had been playing some of his best basketball of the regular season up until he was forced to leave the game against the Boston Celtics with a groin injury.
While James believes there isn’t much concern about his groin injury, the team will need to proceed with extra caution as they’ll need him to be close to 100 percent healthy for the postseason. Los Angeles might fall a couple of spots in the standings with James out, but seeding might not matter for the Lakers if they’ve got their stars at full strength.
While the Celtics beat the Lakers, Jayson Tatum made sure to express how much he respects James, via Daniel Donabedian of ClutchPoints:
“Won a gold medal this summer with each other. Just respect the guys that came before you and paved the way. Can’t say enough good things about what he’s done and accomplished and what he means to the game of basketball. So as a fan, as a competitor, those moments that you get to play against him, you should cherish and you should go out there and compete. Somebody I got a lot of respect for. And I said it before, how you earn respect is going at those guys. He wouldn’t have it any other way,” Tatum said.
Like a lot of the current generation of NBA stars, Tatum grew up watching James so for the two to now be considered rivals speaks volumes for each player. Tatum was able to establish himself as one of today’s superstars while James’ longevity is nothing short of astounding.
The two have had their fair share of playoff battles in the past, and there’s a very real possibility Tatum and James will run into each other again in the Finals. The Celtics and Lakers make up the NBA’s most iconic rivalry, and it would be beyond exciting to see them square off for another title.
Jayson Tatum excited Lakers and Celtics are both contenders this season
The Celtics entered the 2024-25 season as favorites to repeat, though the Lakers are now firmly in the mix. Jayson Tatum isn’t shying away from the competition and even admitted he’s excited both teams are contenders.
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