After 18 years in the NBA, nobody expected LeBron James to keep his place as one of basketball’s most elite players. Yet, somehow, he continues to be as dominant as ever, averaging 28.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on 52% shooting.
So far, James has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate this season, and the Lakers are enjoying everything that it brings.
In a recent chat with the media, ‘King’ James chimed in on potentially winning his fifth MVP trophy, expressing that it’s good because it means his team has found some degree of success.
“I think when you are placed in the MVP conversation, that means that your team is winning games and you’re playing at a level that’s helping them win games. So, if my name starts to be in the MVP discussion, then I’m happy about it in the sense that it means the Lakers are winning basketball games. And that’s what I want. That’s all I care about. I know what I bring to the table every night. I know what I’m capable of doing every night, but I want that to result in wins, and that’s just always been my mindset in this league.”
James, 37, has been the beacon of light in what has been an otherwise bleak campaign for the Purple and Gold.
Amid injury struggles and inconsistency on both ends of the floor, the team has struggled to meet expectations.
Only through the play of James have they remained afloat.
“I gotta tell you from my heart, I think he’s got a good shot at winning MVP,” said Skip Bayless. “Because of narrative. I think the Russell WestBRICK narrative will work to his advantage even though it was LeBron’s fault that he’s here. In the larger picture, people are gonna say ‘look what he’s overcoming. He’s overcoming the guy who’s running away with the turnover lead in the NBA. The guy who clearly has become a liability to the Lakers. And LeBron is playing at the highest level we’ve ever seen a year 19 player play.”
At this point, it’s hard to say for certain what comes next for LeBron and the Lakers. As they angle for a higher standing in the Conference, they will continue to face plenty of challenges along the way.
And as LeBron continues to get older, there is a sense that we could see his decline any second.
For now, all we can do is watch in amazement as James does what he has for years now: push back Father Time.
