LeBron James stole the spotlight in the fourth quarter and took over for the Lakers in their most recent 112-108 win over the 76ers. He dropped 12 of his 29 points from the game in the fourth quarter alone.
James hit multiple crucial three-point shots down the stretch to ensure the Lakers put the game out of the 76ers’ reach. Following the win, the Lakers’ veteran superstar spoke to the media about the motivation he had to be clutch in tonight’s matchup against the 76ers.
“I’ve had so many of those moments there. It never gets old. That’s the one thing you’re not going to be able to get back when you’re done playing, is that arena. The excitement of going out, whether it is to excitement, boos, or cheers, or whatever, you’ll never be able to get that back once you’re done playing,” said James while seeming nostalgic.
“I understand that I’m on the other side of that fence,” LeBron James further added, seemingly feeling like an outsider due to his age. “To do it in a win, that’s what I hope, to be clutch in a win, that’s even more exciting,” he said in conclusion.
Considering that the 76ers and the Lakers are in separate conferences, this will be the only time LeBron James comes to Philadelphia to play, unless they meet in the NBA Finals later in the postseason.
James finished the game with 29 points, seven rebounds, and six assists while shooting 71% from the field (12-of-17). At 40 years old, one cannot deny that retirement fears are lingering for James, who is nearing an imminent end to his career.
The Lakers forward also explained that he is still not at 100% and yet managed to pull off this incredible performance against the 76ers.
“Felt pretty good. With the couple of days that I had off, not playing in Boston, Friday, and then yesterday. So I had two and a half days to kind of, you know, work through the injuries that I have. I’m still not 100% but I felt a lot better tonight than I did coming out of the Toronto game,” he said.
There have been a lot of questions around the role he is playing on this roster with a superstar like Luka Doncic and an emerging star like Austin Reaves as teammates. James proved tonight that he is willing to fit into whatever mold the team needs to win. Even if it means passing the ball, even if it ensures the end of his 10-point streak, to now showing that he can still take over when his team needs him to.
James extended his personal record to 41-18 against the 76ers after the Lakers won tonight. Having faced them 59 times in his career, James is bound to think of every game as potentially one of the last times he faces that team in the regular season. In the 23 years he has so far played in the NBA, James has averaged 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists while shooting 50.6% from the field over 1569 games played.
We still do not know if James plans to retire after this season, but there have been speculations that the next season will almost certainly spell out the end of his career. If he announced his retirement after this season, would this be the perfect last game for James in Philadelphia? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
