This season has been a historic one for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. While playing at 41 is already a noteworthy accomplishment, the forward has remained dominant, shattering iconic NBA records with every appearance.
Among the many milestones he has crossed this season, LeBron James recently surpassed NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most total wins (regular season and playoffs combined) in NBA history on March 31. As impressive as this is, while speaking about it on the “Mind the Game” podcast, James revealed that winning has become a habit for him over the course of his basketball career.
“I’ve always been a winner,” James stated. “Every stop in my basketball journey has resulted in a championship, and that is from the little leagues to middle school, to high school, and in the pros, I’ve always won… I wouldn’t say light work, but yeah, it can be light work at times. So to hear that I am the winningest player in NBA history, it’s like it’s a shout-out to all my coaches and all my teammates.”
“My little league coaches literally taught me how to play the game the right way,” he added. “And I never let the narrative, or whatever people thought about how I should play or what I should do, change how I was taught.”
LeBron James credited his coaches for showing him how to play the game the right way and directing his focus toward making the necessary plays to produce victories.
James has acknowledged that this molded his decision-making in late-game situations, something many analysts criticize. However, in light of 1,229 wins over the course of his 23-year-long NBA career, it can be argued that his decision to prioritize the right basketball play has yielded greater results.
As the superstar mentioned, he won titles at almost every level. While his accomplishments in the Little Leagues and AAU tournaments were impressive, his success with the St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish (101-6 record over four years) in high school translated particularly well to the NBA.
From the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18) and the Miami Heat (2010-14) to the Los Angeles Lakers (2018- ), LeBron James has brought title success to every team he has been a part of. While adding to this tally would only strengthen his legacy, his current situation with the Purple and Gold may be unfavorable.
The 41-year-old notably embraced a secondary role in the rotation to help the Purple and Gold win more games this season, arguably making him one of the most impactful players in the NBA. With averages of 20.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, he was certainly a significant contributor.
For the most part, this adjustment paid off, as the Lakers recorded a dominant 15-2 record in March. Unfortunately, everything fell apart recently with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both suffering injuries.
With the two stars sidelined, LeBron James has been asked to carry a larger burden. As a result, the Lakers have lost their last three games, with the 41-year-old also being sidelined for Tuesday night’s blowout loss at the hands of the Thunder.
Despite this, the Lakers (50-29) are still in a solid position to compete in the postseason. While news of Doncic’s specialized treatment inspires some hope, asking LeBron James to lead this team to a title without any support may be excessive.
