Since LeBron James returned to the court after recovering from a sciatica injury earlier in the season, the Los Angeles Lakers have an 8-5 record with him on the team.
His return to the offense was not easy, and his coach JJ Redick did not hide it. However, King James also has something to say and sent a strong message.
LeBron does not doubt himself and makes it clear
James has been in the eye of the storm this season, first because of his injury and now because of his return. The NBA star is playing his 23rd season and will turn 41 on December 30, which is unusual for an athlete of his caliber.
Despite a slow return, scoring only 11 points in his first game, he has been finding his groove again and now averages 20.2 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game.
In fact, in the Lakers’ last game against the Sacramento Kings, which they won 125-101, LBJ was the team’s second-leading scorer, adding 24 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in 29 minutes of action. Luka Doncic led with 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Following the victory, the Lakers are in fourth place in the Western Conference.
However, on social media, comments about his lack of effort in rebounding or his participation in defense as before have been repeated. Redick even mentioned that with him on the court, there are “too many random possessions.” It’s no surprise that age is a limiting factor for LeBron, but he himself has asserted that this isn’t the case and that he’s willing to give even more to help the team and maintain his place:
If it’s ball-handling, if it’s a little bit more defensive rebounding, if it’s a little bit more scoring, if it’s a little bit more assisting… I’ve done it all, and I can still do it at a high level if need be
Meanwhile, James will be able to put his words to the test on his 41st birthday, when the Lakers (20-10) face the Detroit Pistons on December 30 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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