On the eve of a must-win game for the Lakers, 39-year-old LeBron James spoke candidly on his return to the Crypto.com arena for the first time this postseason. In a chat with the media, James admitted that he’s excited to see the home fans again for the first time in weeks.
“We already know what we’re gonna get from our home fans. I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve played here, to be honest… Hopefully, they’re excited because we’re looking forward to it.”
Between the schedule and being “messed up” for the Warriors game, LeBron had a hard time remembering when the Lakers last played at home pic.twitter.com/ybMBC7pxcA
— michael corvo (@michaelcorvo_) April 24, 2024
The Lakers were 28-14 at home this season, the fourth-best record in the West. With a classic stadium and one of the loudest fanbases in the league, it’s not an easy feat to beat the Lakers on their home court. As a franchise rich with history and lore, the Lakers have enjoyed plenty of historically great moments on their court and they are hoping to pull off a miracle tomorrow against the defending champions.
In Los Angeles, the Lakers just seem to play with more energy and life, and they’ll need a lot more of both to have any shot of beating the Nuggets in Game 3. While LeBron James and Anthony Davis have both been holding their own, the rest of the supporting cast has not stepped up at all outside of D’Angelo Russell. So far, veteran guard Taurean Prince is the only bench player to score any points in the series and he scored just 6 in the loss on Monday.
In short, the Lakers must be better if they want to steal Game 3 and avoid a clean sweep in the first round. Being back in the Crypto.com arena should help them finally get a win, but it won’t be easy to pull one out against this team and the 2x MVP.
The Last Dance For LeBron James?
With the King at 39 years old now, it’s a very real possibility that these next two games are the last of his career. As an NBA free agent this summer, LeBron’s future is entirely unknown right now and only he has all the power to choose his next path.
With averages of 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game this season, LeBron is clearly still one of the best players in the game, and the Lakers are more reliant on him than ever to keep their offense running smoothly and efficiently.
Unfortunately, with limited options on the perimeter, the Lakers can only get so far and LeBron may be trying in vain to force another lengthy playoff run. If they lose in the first round or get swept, it could lead to drastic changes across the roster and even LeBron may re-think his NBA loyalties.
With so much at stake this summer, the Lakers need to do everything they can to win Game 3 and LeBron expects the fans to show up in droves to support their team. If they can win at least one or two games against the Nuggets, it will show progress toward making up ground in the West. If not, then this final stand at Crypto.com arena could be one of the last for LeBron James and it’s far from the ending he deserves.
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