LeBron James is still recognized as the best basketball player in the world, regardless of being 35 years old and playing in his 17th year in the league. The King is still in the elite of basketball, but he’s preparing the young talent to take over the league once he’s gone.
He’s been doing that a lot this season, praising young players like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson. For instance, following his Los Angeles Lakers’ 122-114 win over Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans, the future Hall of Famer and the rookie exchange some words after the match.
LeBron and Zion postgame.
Much respect ✊ https://t.co/dgR55K82bD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 2, 2020
James told reporters he understands he has a responsibility to be a mentor and even sent a clear message to those who think he shouldn’t be acting like that while he’s still active.
On his words to Zion, LeBron says he thinks it’s his responsibility to mentor: “Anybody that says, ‘LeBron, why would he do that while he’s playing? He’s showing signs of weakness, he’s buddy-buddy with these guys he’s going against.’ Tell em to kiss my ass. With a smile, too.” pic.twitter.com/pKSSiU5OrN
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) March 2, 2020
“Anybody that says, ‘LeBron, why would he do that while he’s playing? He’s showing signs of weakness, he’s buddy-buddy with these guys he’s going against.’ Tell em to kiss my a**. With a smile, too.”
Still, Bron didn’t make things easy for Zion or the Pelicans. The Lakers took the W with James recording a triple-double of 34 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds, and two steals. He showed up in crunch time, scoring on Josh Hart, hitting a contested three over Williamson and assisting Kyle Kuzma for a critical corner three when New Orleans ran a double-team his way.
Zion also had a very good night, scoring 35 points and seven rebounds.
LeBron has shown he still has a lot in the tank, but it’s fair to say things will be good once he’s gone. There is a lot of great talent in the league and with his mentorship, those guys will be taking care of the game for a long time.
