What Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is doing in his 20th NBA season is truly remarkable. His 47-point, 10-rebound, 9-assist performance to lead the Lakers to victory over the Atlanta Hawks put him in some elite historical company, and big man Thomas Bryant does not want to waste these performances from an all-time great.
Bryant was also crucial in the victory, finishing with 19 points and 17 rebounds as he has continued to step up in the absence of Anthony Davis. But the Lakers still remain outside of the playoff picture currently which would mean that these LeBron performances ultimately amount to nothing.
This is something that doesn’t sit well with Bryant, who had nothing but praise for LeBron’s performance while adding that it is important not to take his greatness for granted, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I saw an absolutely amazing performance by our leader right there. To do that on his birthday is absolutely amazing. He was really even-keeled throughout the whole game. Not too up, not too down. The communication on his part was absolutely amazing and to see that performance from him, you just don’t wanna take greatness for granted like that.”
That statement can certainly be interpreted in a number of ways. James has long been one of the most scrutinized athletes in the world and Bryant could simply be imploring everyone to truly enjoy witnessing the greatness they get to see. But it can also be looked at as an indictment on the state of the Lakers and the need of the front office to make some moves to improve the team.
Bryant is definitely not someone to just call out the front office like that, but it doesn’t make the sentiment untrue. LeBron is, quite simply, doing things that no one has done at this stage of their career and as he said earlier this week, he is still playing for that ultimate goal of winning championships.
James playing at this level, and, hopefully, a healthy Davis gives the Lakers a great foundation to build on and not doing everything possible to maximize their chances at winning is undoubtedly taking that greatness for granted.
LeBron James emphasizes desire to win more championships
LeBron recently spoke very honestly about his focus in the latter stages of his career. The Lakers star believes he can continue to play at this level as long as he is mentally locked in, but also noted that his goal of winning championships remains the same.
James said that he is a winner and his passion remains winning championships. The Lakers star didn’t put any timeline on how much longer he plans to play, but he made it clear that as long as he is on the court, the goal does not change.
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!
