Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to be the benchmark to which all up and coming NBA players measure themselves against. One of those rising stars is Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who has already established himself as one of the best players in the league.
Tatum has gone head-to-head with LeBron on many occasions and is certainly on the cusp of superstardom, but he obviously has a ton of respect for the Lakers star. And Tatum, like everyone else watching the Lakers’ overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, was in disbelief at how good LeBron remains in his 21st season.
James finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists while playing 42 minutes in the Lakers’ five-point win. And in the midst of that performance, Tatum took to social media, calling LeBron’s performance ridiculous:
The shit Bron is doing is ridiculous lol
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) November 2, 2023
It is certainly an accurate description from Tatum as no one has been even close to this level at this stage of their NBA career. James isn’t just playing well for the Lakers, he is showing that he remains amongst the absolute elite that the league has to offer and he can still do it all. LeBron led the Lakers in scoring, rebounding and assists while also knocking down four 3-pointers against a good Clippers team.
Of course it’s only a matter of time before Tatum and LeBron face off once again. The Lakers host the rival Celtics on Christmas Day in what is undoubtedly the most anticipated game on the NBA’s signature day of the year. Last season, the Celtics won both contests, but one of those was very dubious after Tatum wasn’t called for what was a clear foul on a potential game-winning LeBron layup at the end of regulation.
There is undoubtedly a ton of respect between Tatum and LeBron and how can one not respect everything James has accomplished in his career. The reaction Tatum had to watching a performance like LeBron put on against the Clippers is completely appropriate.
Lakers’ LeBron James says playing the Clippers is ‘more than just another game’
Over the past few years, the rivalry between the Lakers and Clippers has grown into one of the league’s most intense. While some would downplay the rivalry, LeBron admitted that the playing the Clippers means more than just any other game.
“I think it’s always more than just another game every time you playing cross hallway rival,” James said. “It will be cross-town at some point when they head over to the arena next year, but you know it’s for me it’s always great just to compete versus the best, and PG and Kawhi [Leonard] and Russ are three the best that this league has ever seen.
“And to be able to be on the floor against them and compete wearing the purple and gold and they’re wearing their colors and competing is definitely a blessing, and you don’t take those moments for granted. So it was definitely fun.”
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