Even at age 41, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to defy the odds. While acting as the Lakers’ primary scoring option in the absence of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, James delivered another scintillating performance to lead the Purple and Gold to a 101-94 victory over the Houston Rockets.
LeBron James’ sustained brilliance, even at this stage in his career, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. After posting 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on Tuesday night, helping the Lakers establish a 2-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs, James revealed what motivates him to keep playing at such a high level.
“I don’t know. I’m just kind of living in the moment, I guess,” James shared. “I don’t know how many more opportunities I will get to play in the postseason in my career. But, s–t, I live for the moment. I live for the postseason.”
“Been doing it since I was 21… So, 20 years. I know I’ve missed it a couple of times, but from that moment at 21, that first game where I made my mark, for 20 years I’ve been thinking about the postseason. So I’m not shying away from it.”
Despite all the accolades and awards, LeBron James remains motivated to keep winning. Given that he also led the team in scoring on Tuesday night, James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the oldest player to ever do so in the playoffs.
While taking on an even larger burden in Year 23, James remains the gold standard of durability and continued excellence in the NBA.
Can LeBron James Lead The Lakers Past The Rockets?
Many wrote the Lakers off after Doncic and Reaves were sidelined with injuries. Given that LeBron James had also embraced his role as the third option, no one expected him to be capable of stepping up to lead the team again.
However, in the period of a few games, James has proved several naysayers wrong.
After a series of commanding performances to close out the regular season, James looked like a convincing first option. Now, with two crucial performances in the playoff series against the Rockets, the superstar has helped the Purple and Gold defend home court.
For all intents and purposes, these last two games were statement wins for the Lakers. Although Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart‘s contributions have been critical for the team’s success, James’ dominance in his 19th postseason is nothing short of extraordinary.
Over the last two games, LeBron James is averaging 23.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 10.0 assists while shooting 48.6% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range. Considering that he is also averaging 39.0 minutes per game at this stage in his career, James is truly in a league of his own.
While a 2-0 lead is worth banking on, James’ playoff experience rightfully makes him wary of the future. Given that the Lakers are going up against an all-time great like Kevin Durant, taking things lightly may prove detrimental.
Currently, there is no conclusive update on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves that could solidify the Lakers’ chances of emerging victorious in the first-round series. Still, considering the way LeBron James is performing, the Purple and Gold can confidently depend on him to guide them to victory.
