Ever since LeBron James returned from injury on March 12, the Los Angeles Lakers have been playing their best basketball, extending their winning streak to eight games. Speculation surrounded whether James could propel L.A. into contention and he is silencing all the noise.
The 41-year-old’s role has been simplified, resulting in more meaningful production offensively and defensively. After dropping a triple-double against his former team in the Miami Heat, head coach Erik Spoelstra praised James for what he is doing in his 23rd season, via NBA:
“You just have to absolutely respect his level of competitive spirit. He is competing against not only the entire league, but he is competing against Father Time. He’s giving Father Time hell, he really is and you have to respect that. That doesn’t happen by accident, I saw a lot of his habits 14 years ago. But then in the USA weeks you can see how dedicated he was to all the different things, the shooting, player development, but also the weight lifting, mobility and everything to keep his body right.”
When James takes the floor on Saturday against the Orlando Magic, he will surpass Robert Parish for most games played in NBA history. That’s yet another accolade to tack onto his laundry list of accomplishments while also aligning with what Spoelstra said.
For a player who embodies a physically demanding playstyle, it usually does not equate to a long NBA career. However, the four-time champion developed an intensive recovery plan and now picks his spots of when to take over a game.
Through eight games played in March, James is averaging 20.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.5 steals on 63.1% from the field and 38.1% from 3-point range. To adapt to a re-defined role midseason, altering how he attacks offensively, he turned into an even more efficient player and may prolong his career even longer.
LeBron James responds to people saying Lakers are better without him
The spotlight never turns off for the Lakers as chatter always follows regarding player performances. Given how dynamic a backcourt Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are, conversations surrounded whether LeBron James fits next to them heated up when he was out and the team was winning.
To question how an all-time great, potential greatest player of all-time fits on a team felt odd due to his ability to be multi-faceted. James is no stranger to negative comments surrounding his game and following his recent stretch of impressive play took the time to respond to those who said the Lakers are better without him.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
