At nearly 40 years old, LeBron James continues to defy Father Time. The NBA legend played a pivotal role in sealing the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 131-127 comeback win against the Sacramento Kings. Following his impressive performance, LeBron had a crucial message for his teammates.
The Lakers trailed 87-94 at the end of the third quarter, but LeBron took over as the final quarter began. In just three minutes, he scored 16 points, pushing the Lakers to a 108-94 lead. After the game, he reflected on this burst of energy, emphasizing that he shouldn’t have to sustain that intensity throughout entire games moving forward.
“Listen, I could do that at 22, but at almost 40, I don’t need to be doing it for four quarters. I have the luxury of having a MVP-caliber player next to me (referring to Anthony Davis). AR (Austin Reaves) can get it going in bunches. D-Lo (D’Angelo Russell) can catch fire. Rui (Hachimura) has been consistent, and he can get going and score in bunches as well,” LeBron shared, as reported by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Despite taking the spotlight in the game against the Kings, LeBron made it clear that this isn’t the team’s focus: “So this team is not built for me to have 16-point quarters through all four quarters. That’s not how it’s constructed and nor should it be. We’re a team, and we all play together.”
Kevin Huerter #9 of the Sacramento Kings guards LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on October 26, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
With head coach JJ Redick still adjusting the Lakers’ tactics, LeBron stepped up in a time of need for the team to take them 3-0. In Saturday night’s performance, he led all scorers with 32 points, grabbed 14 defensive rebounds, dished out 10 assists, and added a block, shooting 55% from the field. This effort marked the 113th triple-double of his illustrious NBA career.
see also
NBA News: LeBron James' impressive statistic could foreshadow a great season for the Lakers
LeBron passes the baton to Davis
Anthony Davis has been one of the standout players for the Lakers, registering his third consecutive 30-point game (scoring 31) since the season began, tying records set by several franchise legends like Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Kobe Bryant.
Coach Redick has emphasized the team’s plan to elevate Davis’ game, and the center, who scored 10 of the last 12 points of the night, is rising to the occasion. After the win over the Kings, LeBron spoke about the team’s approach to Davis:
“We encourage him, coaches encourage him, we as his teammates encourage him to shoot that 3 ball, and probably the biggest shot of the night is him making that 3, so it made it easy on me,” James said after the game.
LeBron previously addressed Davis’ importance to the team after Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns, passing the baton to his younger, highly skilled teammate: “It’s very important that he’s the main focal point for us every single night. We know what he’s going to do defensively, but offensively we have to find him in multiple places on the floor throughout the whole game.”
