LeBron James has already been putting work into improving his game this summer. While the Lakers forward may be entering his 20th year in the league, he still needs to keep improving to keep up with the NBA as it gets more competitive every season. The young talents coming through have made LeBron a target due to his legendary status, so he needs to show everyone that he is still the best around.
Summer workouts can change the trajectory of a player’s season. LeBron once did summer workouts with Hakeem Olajuwon and came the next season with an extremely refined back-to-the-basket game that made him a much better player on the court.
LeBron was recently working out with legendary basketball coach Chris Brickley, who uploaded pictures of their workout on Instagram. The photos showed that a guest had dropped by the session, as two-time champion JR Smith was spotted shooting shots in jeans while LeBron worked out in his Lakers training gear.
JR Smith won both his career titles on LeBron-led teams. He was a part of the legendary 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers team that overcame the Golden State Warriors in the Finals to win the only championship in Cavs history. Smith also signed with the Lakers for the 2020 bubble and won a ring despite not being a rotation member. Smith has since retired and became a college golf athlete last year.
LBJ has a massive season ahead of him. We would never expect a player in Year 20 to compete for a title as the best player on their team, but that is what James is going to try to accomplish this season. The odds won’t be in his favor, but he will try his best to ensure the Lakers find success this season.
