"I feel as young as I've ever been" - LeBron James says he's unconcerned about the minutes he's playing, as the LA Lakers star is seemingly finding his groove again
LeBron James, the LA Lakers' undeniable leader, has claimed that he feels as young as he's ever felt. In a post-match interview after his team's win over the Boston Celtics, James discussed how he sees his game at the age of 36. Mark Medina, a writer for the NBA, shared the following excerpt from the interview via his Twitter account:
LeBron James: "I don’t get involved on how many minutes I played, or how many days off. I don’t confine to that. I think when you think negative thoughts and have negative energy, it just creeps into your mind. I feel as young as I've ever been."
LeBron James: "I don’t get involved on how many minutes I played, or how many days off. I don’t confine to that. I think when you think negative thoughts and have negative energy, it just creeps into your mind. I feel as young as I've ever been."
LeBron, who played over 36 minutes on Tuesday, more than anyone else on the court, has missed 12 games so far this season. In the games he has been involved in however, he has played as much as possible and is averaging 36.9 minutes per game this season.
LeBron James and the LA Lakers triumph over the Boston Celtics
The LA Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 117-102 on Tuesday night. After a season that has been majorly disappointing, this win against their eternal rivals raised morale at the arena formerly known as the Staples Center.
Offensively, LeBron James was on a whole different level last night. He attempted 19 field goals and made a whooping 68.4% of them. In comparison, the only player who had similar attempts was Jayson Tatum. Tatum attempted 22 converting 59.1% of them. LBJ's attacking numbers were brilliant by all standards.
"The Lakers are not going to be in the top 4, I don't care what anyone says."
The crew debates where the Lakers will finish in the West this season #InsideTheNBA https://t.co/FwEIZG1yKc
Defensively, however, James is not the same player he was in Cleveland. He is not as aggressive while guarding the rim or tracking free players. Although he still leads his team in steals per game, it seems that LeBron James' age is catching up to him on the defensive end.
Meanwhile, both Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook were also outstanding in the previous game. While AD recorded 17 points, 16 rebounds and 2 blocks, Brodie had 24 points and 11 assists.
The issue with the LA Lakers this season has been their defense. While they had the best defensive rating in the league in 2020-21, this year has not been as phenomenal for them. They rank 15th in the league with a defensive rating of 108.8. For Frank Vogel, who is a very defensively minded coach, this season has not gone as he would have liked.
There is talk of firing Vogel in the NBA community. The reason is the age of his players. LeBron is one of the oldest players in the league. This ensemble of brilliant individuals who have not yet found the right chemistry perhaps represents his last few chances at a title.