Amid season-long struggles, LeBron James and the Lakers have been doing damage control for the past few months. As rumors and speculation continue to emerge about the state of the team, James has been putting the team on his back in a bid to stay afloat in the loaded Western Conference.
It’s been a rough season, but LeBron is showing everyone that he’s not ready to give up his place at the top.
And after L.A.’s win over the Orlando Magic on Friday, in which he dropped 30 points and 12 rebounds, the King made sure to remind the world who he is in an Instagram verse spin-off of Nas’ song, ‘Store Run.’
“Shifting the culture
Mention me with MJ and Brady like you’re ‘posed to
I’m standing next to rookies, somehow they looking older
The altitude of matter so cold, it’ll make your nose run
How you expect to get love if you don’t show none? “
For reference, here are the original lyrics of the song, unedited by James:
“Shifting the culture,
mention me with Mick Jagger and Bono like you ‘pose to.
I’m standing next to rookies, somehow they looking older.
The altitude of matter so cold it’ll make your nose run.
How you expect to get love if you don’t show none?
I should send you lil n*ggas on a store run. “
While the exact motive of the caption is unclear, it’s obvious that LeBron is giving himself a little pat on the back here while drawing parallels between himself and the famous rap artist. Like Nas, James is calling for more respect while telling the less accomplished to stay in their lane.
Whether you love or hate the post, James deserves a lot of credit for what he’s doing.
This season, at 37 years old, LeBron is putting together an amazing season. Through 33 games, he’s averaging 28.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 51.7% shooting. Best of all, he’s been doing it while playing center for a large chunk of the season.
“I believe in the history of the ball game there are two guys that can do what he’s doing and I’ve seen one of them do it and that’s Magic Johnson (I saw him do it in the NBA Finals) and I believe that’s LeBron James,” said Shannon Sharpe. “It’s a lot different now than it was back then because you don’t have traditional centers. You don’t have guys that really post up. Now, it’s positionless basketball and it has allowed LeBron James to play the five.
There is no questioning his versatility on the defensive end. He can’t play like that now at 37 years of age but what he’s doing offensively is to be commended. Right now if you make me say it, I’ll say he’s the third-best center in the NBA, behind Jokic and Embiid. He’s better than Gobert.”
Regarding the exact meaning of LeBron’s IG message, it’s pretty clear that he considers himself with the best of NBA has to offer.
What he’s been doing this season is certainly worthy praise, and there is no denying that it helps his claim as basketball’s GOAT.
Whatever the case, James is feeling pretty good after this win. Let’s hope it’s a sign of things to come for the 17x Champs.
