The opening night of the Lakers’ preseason campaign didn’t end up going well as the team fell to a 30-point loss at the hands of the Sacramento Kings. The starting lineup looked good together in the first half, but LeBron James was having an absolutely nightmarish performance. He ended that game with 4 points, going 0-7 from the field.
While that led to some alarm bells ringing amongst the fanbase, many were confident that it was just LeBron trying to find his rhythm again. He proved to everyone that he hasn’t had a sudden decline in Game 2 by absolutely dominating the Phoenix Suns in one half of action. NBA fans were shocked to see LeBron play the way he did, heralding the legend ahead of his 20th season in the league.
LeBron James tonight:
23 PTS
4 REB
4 AST
He only played 17 minutes. pic.twitter.com/ciz5mkHOqs
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 6, 2022
Kareem watching LeBron put up 21 pts on 89% shooting in 13 minutes pic.twitter.com/4mr3m1qQGc
— 🎭 (@MaskedInLA) October 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/JamesEdrick3/status/1577854243394015232
20 years in and LeBron will be AT WORST a top 10 player in the league… crazy
— LegendOfWinning (@LegendOfWinning) October 6, 2022
Greatest to ever grace the game of basketball
— 𝔹𝕠𝕝𝕨𝕣𝕝𝕕 (@BolWrld) October 6, 2022
Uh… Goat
— Los 🍇 (@LosPollosTV) October 6, 2022
At 37 yrs old doing this in a preseason game, he’s the GOAT
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) October 6, 2022
I've seen enough, Lebron is winning MVP pic.twitter.com/2Jz1hfg4ef
— Shane (@Shane00) October 6, 2022
How is 38 year old Lebron more durable than 29 year old AD with all due respect
— Mark Jackson’s Burner (@casualtakeking) October 6, 2022
LEBRON JAMES GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME DONT @ ME
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) October 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/wame_willard/status/1577872207505944581
30-7-7 incoming🤝🏾 https://t.co/CFyZFimgyB
— Mars da Butch// 2X World Series Champ ‘Stros (@RedSunrise376) October 6, 2022
LeBron James moving like he 25 years old #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/E1UXX2fBZt
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) October 6, 2022
James shot 8-11 on the game, with his percentage getting worsened by a few careless threes at the end of his on-court stint. He tallied 23 points with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal.
Is LeBron James Going To Decline?
The question on the minds of basketball fans for years has been around when LeBron will start declining and become a peripheral character in the NBA. Up until now, James’ dominance has been challenged by other stars, but nobody has been able to surpass his appeal.
Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry are obviously better players heading into the 2022-23 season but James is still so good that nobody should count him out of being in the race for the best player in the league.
If LeBron is performing at a high level, Anthony Davis stays healthy, and Russell Westbrook continues playing the way he has in the preseason, the Lakers could have an unexpectedly solid season. This would be one of the most dangerous teams to face in the playoffs due to their top-end star talent, so if LeBron can continue playing at the level he has for the last few seasons, the Lakers could be preparing themselves for a good year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deq9NOE78Xc
