When LeBron James went dad mode after winning hard-fought game against Philadelphia 76ers: "Hopefully, I only have to say something once"
LeBron James is the second-oldest active player on an NBA roster this season, trailing only former Miami Heat teammate Udonis Haslem. While Haslem has hardly seen the floor, making just one shot on the season, LeBron is ranked ninth in usage rate and 13th in scoring.
Off the court, the LA Lakers star is a proud father of three children. Back in 2016, fresh off of leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first title in franchise history a few months prior, James' parenting skills were brought to the locker room, as he was left to clean up after his teammates.
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, as Cavaliers' teammate Kyrie Irving met with reporters following a 108-105 preseason victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, James picked up his teammates' laundry bags. The bags were reportedly left scattered around the locker room floor, and the future Hall of Famer collected them to hand over to locker room attendants.
The four-time NBA champion noted that he was going to discuss the incident with teammates, stating:
"Hopefully, I only have to say something once. Can't leave the locker room like that."
There was speculation that the bags belonged to players who were unlikely to make the final roster, making the saga even stranger. While rookies are generally left to clean up after veterans, instead, the four-time NBA MVP was left to mop up after players fighting for their NBA life.
Watch LeBron James' career highlights below:
LeBron James is back to playing at an elite level
LeBron James struggled at the start of the season, leading many to speculate that he could finally be declining in his 20th NBA season. While James averaged 24.0 points per game through his first eight contests, he lacked efficiency, shooting just 43.1% from the field and 20.7% from three-point range. His scoring and field goal percentage were the lowest since his rookie season, while his three-point percentage was the lowest of his career.
Over his past eleven games, LeBron has averaged 27.7 points per game, shooting 49.8% from the field and 40.0% from three-point range. As he has gotten healthier, the LA Lakers star has resembled the player he has been for much of the past two decades. While it is inevitable that James will eventually decline, it does not appear that this will be the season in which it occurs.
Watch LeBron James score a season-high 39 points below: