LeBron James continues to seemingly defy conventional medical wisdom when it comes to aging. Just a few weeks away from his 39th birthday and in his 21st season, he is still playing at an elite level and is showing no signs of slowing anytime soon.
In Tuesday’s quarterfinal round of the in-season tournament, he powered the Los Angeles Lakers to victory over the Phoenix Suns. He scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, and he added 11 assists, eight rebounds and five steals. As a result, the Lakers will play in the semifinal round in Las Vegas against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
James commented on the added intensity of the in-season tournament, something that was apparently the NBA’s goal when it announced the tourney several months ago (h/t Lakers Nation).
“We feel like we can go to him at any time, and he’ll make the right play.” Anthony Davis & LeBron James speak on AR’s importance and the team's identity as players return from injury. pic.twitter.com/SMczD1Xug1
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 6, 2023
“Well, like I said, in my postgame (interview) on the floor, you got some of the most alpha male competitors in the world,” the Lakers star noted. “And if you give us an opportunity to play for something, something meaningful with an incentive, then you’ll get what you’re getting.
“And I know the competitive nature of myself and our competitive nature, and this guy next to me, in our DNA and what we’re trying to build for this team. So the in-season tournament is what it is. … I mean, it’s fun. It’s fun, and then on top of us going up against two monster players when it comes to D-Book (Devin Booker) and KD (Kevin Durant) has added even more.”
If the Lakers defeat New Orleans on Thursday, they will advance to the championship game on Saturday where they would face either the Indiana Pacers or the Milwaukee Bucks.
James on his approach and preparation
Usually, a pro athlete with tons of wear and tear will face more of a physical than a mental challenge to playing at a high level and getting ready to play in each game. But James said after Tuesday’s game that it has been the other way around for him.
“I think it’s definitely more mental than physical at this point in my career,” James said. “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.
“Commanding the most out of my teammates, commanding the most out of myself, holding everybody accountable, including myself, and the mental side is definitely more stressful than the actual body.”
Through Tuesday’s contest, he’s averaging 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists a game while shooting 54.6% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range.
While many believe he’s playing too many minutes, he is averaging 33.9 minutes per game, which is the second-lowest average of his career. His lowest figure in that category came during the 2020-21 campaign when he was at 33.4 minutes a contest.
