LeBron James dazzled as the Los Angeles Lakers blew out the Atlanta Hawks 141-116 at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. Lakers head coach JJ Redick passionately defended James unprompted postgame and called out his “envious” critics for constantly going at him.
That led to James being asked in his postgame media session if he was bothered by those who question him, and he sent a clear message.
“Nah,” James bluntly said. “I mean, it’s my life. It’s been like that for quite a while now. So, I just hope that, once I’m done that I’ve made an impact for the people that follow my career and watch me. My fans, that’s been locked down with me for over 23 years, since I kind of started this journey as a high school freshman, I will say.
“So that’s all that matters, my crew, that’s been with me,” James added. “And everything else doesn’t matter.”
James has had the spotlight on him for over two decades. The 41-year-old is used to all the hate by now and is only focusing on those who have been by his side all this time. He’s blocking out all the negativity, and that is the right approach.
While James isn’t losing much sleep over his critics, Redick wishes they would appreciate him more.
“It’s unfortunate, actually, not to go on a tangent here, but it’s unfortunate how much this guy cares and how certain people talk about him,” Redick said. “It’s crazy, come be around him and see how much this guy cares, it’s off the charts.”
Redick was asked why he calls it unfortunate and issued a strong response.
“Because that’s the nature of envy,” Redick stated. “You’re not going to get a click, a response by saying something nice about somebody, by acknowledging someone’s greatness, by acknowledging how much they care, how much they work, how much they’ve accomplished, and continue to work towards.
“You’ve got to say something bad about him, you’ve got to knock him on TV, you’ve got to read into ‘oh he did this pregame’ and whatnot, it’s all just nuts,” Redick continued. “Be around him every day, he’s unbelievable.”
While we don’t know what happens behind the scenes, we can see what transpires on the court. James had 31 points (12-20 FG), nine rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, and one block against the Hawks. The 21-time All-Star’s status for this game was actually in doubt, as this was the second night of a back-to-back.
James has to put in a lot of effort behind the scenes and care a lot to still want to go out on the court and perform for his team. This is a guy in his 23rd season who is still pushing himself and deserves credit for that. James was asked where this “care” comes from, and had a great response.
“I would never disrespect the basketball guys when it comes to playing this game,” James stated. “So I put the time and the effort and the commitment in it mentally, physically, spiritually every time I hit the floor, or I’m at a practice or whatever the case may be. Trying to set the example for my teammates and the younger generation that’s watching me or watched me throughout my career.
“I mean, my son is right over there,” James continued. “So, I can’t afford to cheat the game ever, and I wouldn’t ever do that. And I got to set an example for him over there, too. So, as Jay-Z would say, if you can’t respect that, your whole perspective is whack. Maybe you’ll love me when I fade to black.”
It is the reality that James will probably be appreciated a lot more after he walks away. We should be grateful that we still get to see him put on a show on the court.
We’ll see James and the Lakers in action next against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday at 10:30 PM ET.
