The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been able to find the consistency they would like in the regular season. However, they’ve fared quite well in the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, mostly thanks to LeBron James’ heroic late-game performances.
The soon-to-be 39-year-old continues to turn back the clock every single time he sets foot on the court. Even if he’s no longer a presence on the defensive end of the floor, he constantly takes over in the fourth quarter to carry the load for his team.
James’ athleticism and strength are second to none, especially for players his age. However, as impressive as he’s been from a physical standpoint, he actually believes it’s all thanks to his mental preparation:
“I think it’s definitely more mental than physical at this point of my career,” James told The Athletic. “Just mentally showing up hours and hours and hours before the actual game to start to prepare my mind, body and soul for however many minutes I’m going to play. And commanding the most out of my teammates, commanding the most out of myself and holding everybody accountable, including myself. The mental side is definitely the most stressful than the actual body.”
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers gets angry after not getting a foul call.
Lakers Are In Awe Of James
LeBron is currently averaging 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers per game on 54% from the floor and almost 39% from beyond the arc. Moreover, he’s usually waited until the fourth quarter to take over:
“We like to put the ball in his hands and really make plays,” Anthony Davis said. “Whether it’s scoring, which he was able to do tonight and almost every other night, or it’s making plays for someone else. That’s crunchtime.”
Coach Darvin Ham also talked about how he feels comfortable putting the ball in James’ hands when the game is on the line, as he’s one of the most intelligent players to ever live:
“I mean, no disrespect to anybody else, he’s the best quarterback in the NBA,” Ham said. “And that’s bar-none. He understands those moments and what we’re trying to get out of certain possessions, when we need to be aggressive going downhill, when we need to be more methodical. So, that’s just him being who he has been his whole career, his entire career. So, there’s nothing shocking about that.”
Trying To Beat Father Time
Of course, the Lakers need someone else to step up. Davis has been a nice sidekick more often than not, but the rest of the supporting cast has been lacking every now and then.
James is one of the greatest — if not the greatest — players of all time, but even the best of the best need their teammates to thrive. He’s not getting any younger, and the Lakers are one injury away from being a lottery team. Still, James wants to keep beating the odds:
“I want to continue to defy the odds,” James said. “Continue to have this battle with Father Time that for so long has, everybody said has been undefeated. So, I’m trying to give him one loss.”
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LeBron James makes a big decision after Bronny James" medical scare
We’ve already seen guys like Tom Brady give Father Time a run for his money. Now, it’ll be up to LeBron to prove that he can also join the short list of elite athletes who dominated until a late age.
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