Entering the 22nd season of his career, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James seemingly has not lost a step, looking like his usual self in his preseason debut. On Sunday, James put up 19 points, five rebounds and four assists on 8-for-12 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range in the first half.
While L.A. opted to not make any moves and bring in new faces, there should be optimism as James and his co-star Anthony Davis remain a top duo in the league. But, there is no denying how competitive the Western Conference is going to be this season and little room for error for each team.
James finds himself in a similar situation to Kansas City Chiefs championship quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is trying to navigate through an NFL season with some of his offensive weapons being injured. However, that has yet to matter as Kansas City is 5-0 after beating the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football.
James took to social media to show love to Mahomes as it simply does not matter who is on the field, as long as the Chiefs have their quarterback healthy:
KC just so good man! Doesn’t matter who’s not in the lineup as long as QB1 is!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 8, 2024
With three rings under his belt, Mahomes is leading his offense without a hitch despite numerous key injuries. James is no stranger to being an avid football fan who likes to live tweet occasionally through games, and on Monday night it was Mahomes who drew his attention.
Both stars in their respective sports have had to power through narratives suggesting that their success is not sustainable. It is hard to repeat as champions, let alone win multiple championships, so James and Mahomes are living to tell the tale and certainly find it enjoyable to disprove those narratives.
As James nears the end of his career, he does not have anything to prove as he is regarded as the best player ever by some. However, seeing Mahomes perform at this level could provide a bit more motivation with opening night only a few weeks away.
LeBron James reflects on playing with Bronny for first time
A storyline that is going to follow this Lakers team all season long is the dynamic between LeBron James and his son Bronny playing on the same team. They were the first father-son duo to share the court, making NBA history.
That took place on Sunday for the first time in the Lakers’ preseason game and the 39-year-old star reflected on that moment.
Patrick Mahomes & Chiefs trying to be first since Lakers
At 5-0, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are once again looking like the favorites to win the Super Bowl. If they are able to do so, it would mark the first three-peat in American professional sports since Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers from 2000-02.
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