Watch: LeBron James runs unbelievable one-man fastbreak and ends with a ferocious dunk in his 20th year in the league, defying time
LeBron James is playing his 20th season in the NBA but has repeatedly shown he still has the athleticism to make highlight plays. He brought the LA Lakers faithful to their feet with a coast-to-coast drive that ended with a thunderous dunk.
Year TWENTY đź‘‘ https://t.co/Ax7sk8c4YZ
The four-time MVP led the Lakers and the Denver Nuggets in scoring with 16 points in the first half. He was 6-11 from the field, including a rim-rattling slam that punctuated the Lakers’ first 24 minutes of play.
Heading into the match against the Nuggets, James is averaging 26.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.3 steals. His shooting has been significantly down, hitting just 47.5% of his shots after making 52.4% of them last season.
LeBron James’ three-point shot has also been just rounding into form. He averaged just 25.5% of his trifectas earlier in the season but has hiked his efficiency to 31.5%.
The 18x All-Star is no longer the relentlessly devastating force he was in his first 15 years in the NBA. He now chooses his spots and occasions to show that he can still do it when required. James can still go sky-high for his patented chase-down blocks or hammer down a dunk as he did against the Nuggets.
The LA Lakers need the best version of LeBron James to make the playoffs. After a spectacular 8-2 run a few weeks back, they have now lost four of their last six games. They’ve shown that they can compete and beat elite teams, but Anthony Davis has to play at an MVP level to do that.
LeBron James may be in year 20, but he remains crucial to the Lakers’ success.
With Anthony Davis injured, LeBron James’ role will be bigger again
The LA Lakers’ worst nightmare just happened again. Anthony Davis was injured in the game against the Denver Nuggets.
AD injured his right foot in the first quarter attempting a layup against Nikola Jokic but appeared none for the worse. However, he didn’t return in the second half of the game, with the Lakers confirming his injury.
After falling to 2-10, the LA Lakers surged to an 8-2 streak behind Davis’ MVP-level play. He has sustained his excellence and started turning the Lakers’ season around. During that span, LeBron James has taken a backseat to the superstar big man.
The four-time MVP may have to dust off his Superman cape as AD is back on the injury report. It’s unclear how soon Davis will return, but as long as he is out, James will have to retake his role on offense. He will have to carry out more playmaking and scoring duties without the eight-time All-Star.
No Anthony Davis for the second half and the Lakers find a way to win over the Nuggets. What a performance
In the second half against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers have shown that they can still compete. Thomas Bryant played well, and so did Russell Westbrook and Austin Reaves. It remains to be seen if they can sustain that success now that Anthony Davis’ status is in question.