The 2019-20 campaign was obviously an extraordinary challenging season for the NBA. Faced with a pandemic, a months-long hiatus, and an unprecedented finish in a quarantine “bubble,” there’s really no denying the level of difficulty involved with trying to adjust to all of that.
Unfortunately, just because the new season has started, doesn’t mean things have gone completely back to normal.
As part of the COVID-19 safety measures and a condensed schedule, teams will be playing back-to-back sets with the same competitors much more often than normal. Put that alongside empty arenas, and it’s easy to see why it can make things difficult for players, including LeBron James.
In a post-game press conference on Saturday, he spoke rather bluntly on his opinion of this season:
LeBron: “It’s gonna be a long season, it’s gonna be a difficult season.”
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) January 2, 2021
LeBron: on playing he same team consecutively on the road: “It’s definitely different feeling.”
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) January 2, 2021
At 36-years-old, LeBron James might be in the middle of the hardest stretch of his career. Following the COVID crisis, and a historically short offseason, James is having to work hard to keep himself in top condition.
The question is, how will it affect the Lakers? Obviously, they were able to win the Chip last season. But can they do it again, or the obstacles prove too much to overcome this time around?
