"I try to crawl up on LeBron and pick him up and he just put his forearm on me and I was like 'damn!'" - Desmond Bane recalls guarding LeBron James for the first time
Memphis Grizzlies' Desmond Bane recently sat down with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports and revealed what it felt like to guard LeBron James for the first time in his career. Bane picked up the LA Lakers' talisman full-court during a game last season and got first-hand experience of how difficult it is to deal with James because of his physicality. Here's what he told Haynes on the podcast, 'Posted Up With Chris Haynes' regarding this:
"3 or 4 games into my rookie year and we were playing the Lakers and Dillon Brooks had gotten into some foul trouble, and coach was like '40-40'. When he said 40, we picking up full court, you know, just token defense. I try to crawl up on LeBron and pick him up (full court), and he just put his forearm on me, and I was like damn! You know what I am saying? I was like I ain't moving that, I ain’t moving through that."
Bane, a 6'5", 215-pound guard is not easy to go up against either. The 23-year-old has made a giant leap in his sophomore year this season. He is averaging 15.8 points on a 47/38/91 shooting split as he continues to thrive in a starting role.
Desmond Bane's footwork is so good and he really has that one dribble pull-up down to a science these days, creates a ton of space https://t.co/WlfKM6dvht
LeBron James continues to dominate opponents with his physicality but is father time finally catching up with him?
LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in the world. His longevity and ability to stay in top physical condition has been a huge reason behind his success in the NBA. But his health has been a concern in recent years, especially since he joined the LA Lakers in 2018.
James has had multiple muscle injuries since then. He played just 55 games in his first season due to a groin injury as the Lakers failed to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth straight year. His second season with the side was a success as they went on to win the title. An ankle injury kept the 'King' from being at his lethal best during his third campaign with the team as they failed to get past the first round of the playoffs.
LeBron James has already missed over 50% of the matches for the LA Lakers just 20 games into this season. He suffered an abdominal strain that ruled him out for eight straight matches. The Lakers have struggled in his absence and at the age of 36, James' ability to stay healthy for large swathes of a season remains doubtful.
Considering the injuries he has had over the last few years, it would be fair to say that father time is sort of catching up with the 19-year veteran. Nevertheless, when healthy, LeBron James hasn't looked off-color and continues to win games for his team single-handedly.
His recent 39-point outing against the Indiana Pacers is a great testament to that. LeBron James played a team-high 43 minutes in the victory and is looking in top shape. However, the Lakers will have to manage his workload moving forward as they would ideally need their captain to be 100% at the business end of the tournament.
Also Read: Who is LeBron James’ wife, Savannah James?