As the calendar turned to 2023, the Los Angeles Lakers were in dire need of wins in bunches about two weeks after Anthony Davis went down with a right foot stress injury.
It was about this time LeBron James turned his play up a couple of gears.
After starting the season off somewhat slowly (by his standards), he averaged 31.2 points a game in December, which was punctuated by a 47-point effort on Dec. 30, his 38th birthday, versus the Atlanta Hawks.
On Jan. 2, James was at it again on the road against the Charlotte Hornets.
With the Lakers taking control in the second quarter, he scored 14 points in the period. He added 24 more in the second half as the Hornets tried to mount a desperate late rally in the final minutes.
Thanks to James’ 43 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, Los Angeles came away with a 121-115 victory.
This performance gave him 90 points in a span of two games, which proved he had a lot left in his tank.
