"Probably the greatest athlete I have ever seen" - Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams revers LeBron James' longevity and basketball IQ
Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams is the latest to join the long list of LeBron James' admirers. Although his team trounced the LA Lakers to earn a 108-90 road victory on Tuesday night, Williams was quick to acknowledge James' greatness. The 36-year-old scored 34 points to keep LA in the contest for much of the game.
Speaking to the media following the Suns' 25th win of the season, Williams said of James:
"I can't put into words what that guy has been able to do, for as long as he has been able to do it. I'm not just about talking about the crowds. We've not heard about him when he was in the eighth-ninth grade. He has been able to play at such a ridiculous level, with that kind of pressure - almost 30 years. Probably the greatest athlete I have ever seen. Now he's in his 19th year and dealing with all the injuries and the stuff they've dealt with, he's still playing at an extremely high level. Never seen anything like that."
He added:
"I've always had a great respect for LeBron. Coaching against him I have even more respect for his IQ because when you are coaching you get a chance to listen to what he's saying to the referees. It's usually stuff that you don't hear from a majority of the players in the NBA. You know you are sitting there, 'Like wow, I can't believe he asked that question.' You know what I mean. He has a really high IQ. He's just a phenomenal athlete, let alone a basketball player."
Suns coach Monty Williams on seeing LeBron James do his thing during his 19th season https://t.co/HypycfdXri
LeBron James' heroics cannot stop LA Lakers from crashing to third successive defeat for second time this season
LeBron James' 34-point valiant effort versus the Phoenix Suns could not stop the LA Lakers from crashing to their third successive defeat for the second time this season. The Lakers lost to Minnesota and Chicago on Friday and Sunday before losing to Phoenix on Tuesday night.
"We don't know...we haven't been whole. I can't remember the last time we had the same starting lineup with the same rotation off the bench." @KingJames on how to assess the #LakeShow 32 games into the season. https://t.co/yqS2m8wfBt
The last time the LA Lakers lost three straight games was between November 15 and 19, when they lost to Chicago, Milwaukee and Boston.
When asked how he would assess the Lakers' form 32 games into the season, LeBron James pointed to the team's continued struggles with player injuries. He said:
"We don't know...we haven't been whole. I can't remember the last time we had the same starting lineup with the same rotation off the bench."