Since the creation of the NBA Play-In Tournament during the 2021 season, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves having to take part three times. The results have been good as the Lakers have gone 3-0 in those contests, but even with the victories it still forces them to play an extra game before the playoffs get started.
Thankfully for the Lakers, they don’t have to worry about that this season as they secured the fourth seed in the Western Conference and are set to host the Houston Rockets in the first round. And being able to sit back and watch the Play-In from home is something James is looking forward to.
“I am happy because being a participant of the f—ing Play-In, for some years, that I get to sit back on my couch with my wine, knowing I don’t have to play until the weekend and just sit there and just enjoy,” James said on his Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash. “I’ll have one iPad with golf on and the other one with the Play-In I will just be so excited. Yeah, it’s perfect. A week to prepare, watch and just like enjoy basketball.”
Getting a couple of extra days of rest is crucial for James as the Lakers will be extra reliant on him in the postseason as both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will miss the start of the playoffs at the very least. The pressure will be on James to lead this team against a physical Rockets squad, but he will be prepared for the challenge.
The Play-In Tournament games that James has participated in have been exciting, however. The very first Play-In contest saw the Lakers take down Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors and they also had a memorable overtime contest with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2023.
But with the injuries they are dealing with, James and the rest of the Lakers are much happier watching from the comfort of their homes as the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and Warriors battle for those final two seeds in the West.
JJ Redick: LeBron James had a ‘remarkable’ season for Lakers
In his 23rd NBA season, James continued to somehow produce at a very high level despite his role changing throughout the season. And even though his numbers were lower, Lakers coach JJ Redick believes what he did this year wasn’t just great, it was remarkable.
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