<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LeBron-James-NBA.jpg"></figure><h1>The LeBron James lookalike in high school that’s currently in the NBA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-21T06:24:48-07:00">April 21st, 6:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-21T06:24:48-07:00">April 21st, 6:24am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It appears that an NBA fan has found a doppelganger of LeBron James, who happens to play in the league right now. Sharing his take on the popular site, TikTok, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/foryou?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowIFeBlwv6itYIzOYQJ993aH4ws6VyUkS%2BUECxYPDZ%2BKjDsNHtyu5twuFMY4LxCRUzGgA%3D&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAgXW6C7JbbRggBMIp6bXQsYby-MKGgsEcRVKOT7A9ql3ogGD8mh2lpyRyeu-r3Mhd&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6952651451642416389&amp;share_link_id=24BDF504-6047-4964-8D83-9BD5D7F3D90D&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1618987885&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d6jcl323a1i4c0&amp;user_id=6702599021758596102&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;item_id=6952651451642416389#/@adampfaris/video/6952651451642416389">Adam Faris provides</a> a highlight reel of a current NBA player during his high school basketball days.</p><p>Yup! Danuel House resembled LeBron James back in the day. Between the haircut and the ferocious dunk showed in the video, House drew interest as people jokingly speculated he was a long-lost son of LeBron James. Years later, we’re being reminded of the hilarious moment thanks to Tik Tok.</p><p>As mentioned in the video, Danuel House went undrafted. However, he’s been playing in the NBA since the 2016-17 season, where he began his career with the Washington Wizards. He literally only played one minute in Washington. He then played a year for the Phoenix Suns until he finally signed a deal with the Houston Rockets in 2018.</p><p>Working his way from the bottom of the league, House plays an integral part in the Rockets’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-rumors-houston-burn-the-house-down-ahead-trade-deadline/">lineup</a>. He’s the perfect rotational player, as he’s currently averaging <a href="http://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/danuel-house/aba90963/stats">9.3 points</a>, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game this season.</p><p>Although he looked similar to LeBron James back during his days in high school, the two couldn’t have a more different start to their NBA careers. In LeBron’s first five years in the NBA, he averaged <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/lebron-james/b1a9094f/stats">27.3 points</a>, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. He’s also been a superstar throughout his entire career, never being utilized as a rotational player.</p><p>Two vastly different players, with contrasting careers, however, it’s hard not to agree that the two looked the same at one point.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The LeBron James lookalike in high school that’s currently in the NBA

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Lakers-news-LeBron-James_-NSFW-response-to-Raiders_-George-Floyd-Derek-Chauvin-tweet-THumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>LeBron James’ NSFW response to Raiders’ George Floyd-Derek Chauvin tweet</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-21T06:20:20-07:00">April 21st, 6:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-21T06:21:34-07:00">April 21st, 6:21am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Las Vegas Raiders <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-las-vegas-gets-ripped-over-tone-deaf-statement-on-george-floyd-derek-chauvin-verdict/" rel="noopener">received significant backlash</a> over their controversial Twitter post regarding the verdict on Derek Chauvin’s trial for the murder of George Floyd. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was one of the many athletes who publicly voiced their disappointment with the poster that went viral on social media.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is real???? Nah man this ain’t it at all. The F^%K!!!! 🤦🏾‍♂️ <a href="https://t.co/f44D7OQWfo" target="_blank">https://t.co/f44D7OQWfo</a></p><p>— LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1384757885645643779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 21, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Back on March 25, 2020, Floyd was arrested by Chauvin for suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill in the Minnesota area. The police officer from the Minneapolis Police Department then knelt on the 46-year-old’s neck for over nine minutes, and Floyd ultimately died.</p><p>Floyd’s death sparked an uproar in America. Over a year later, Chauvin was convicted of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter due to the incident.</p><p>After the verdict was made public, professional sports teams released their official statements regarding the matter. However, many people found the Raiders’ poster to be insensitive as Floyd was heard saying “I can’t breathe” when Chauvin knelt on him.</p><p>Coincidentally, it was also the same rallying cry that was used in the wake of another victim in Eric Garner, who was choked to death when he was arrested in New York City back in 2014.</p><p>Said poster then drew clamor from the public, which led Raiders owner Mark Davis to take responsibility for the words written on it.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/las-vegas-raiders-i-can-breathe-tweet-backlash-derek-chauvin-verdict/">CBS News</a>, he claimed that the idea was only inspired by Floyd’s brother, Philonise, who said “we are able to breathe again because justice for George means freedom for all” after learning the verdict on Chauvin’s trial.</p><p>However, Davis still refused to delete the post and claimed that he would only apologize if Floyd’s family was offended by those words, per an interview with <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/las-vegas-raiders-i-can-breathe-tweet-backlash-derek-chauvin-verdict/">Las Vegas-Review Journal</a>.</p><blockquote>“It’s rare I make statements about anything,” Davis told the newspaper, “and if I thought it offended the family, I would feel very badly and apologize. Other than that, I’m not apologizing. I honesty believe, after listening to Philonise, this is a day that we can all breathe.”</blockquote><p>Even if Davis and the Raiders didn’t mean anything bad by it, it still isn’t a good look, and LeBron James joined the chorus of people ripping them for it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James’ NSFW response to Raiders’ George Floyd-Derek Chauvin tweet

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Lakers-news-LeBron-James_-one-word-reaction-to-guilty-verdict-on-Derek-Chauvin-in-George-Floyd-case.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers superstar LeBron James’ one-word reaction to guilty verdict on Derek Chauvin in George Floyd case</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-20T16:10:32-07:00">April 20th, 4:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-20T16:10:32-07:00">April 20th, 4:10pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was one of the first personalities from around the NBA that have reacted to the news pertaining to Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict for his role in the killing of George Floyd.</p><p>LeBron took to <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1384629525749788676">Twitter</a> to come out with his brief, yet very powerful one-word statement about this recent development:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">ACCOUNTABILITY</p><p>— LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1384629525749788676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>James is clearly pleased with how the verdict turned out. Chauvin, now a former Minneapolis police officer, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He is set to face sentencing in eight weeks wherein he is expected to receive a combined sentence of up to 75 years in prison.</p><p>LeBron was one of the most <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-speaks-out-george-floyd-protests/">prominent voices</a> in the NBA throughout the Black Lives Matter movement — a campaign that was instigated by the killing of Floyd back in May 2020. The Lakers star did not hold back with his commentary on how racial injustice continues to be embedded in the very core of society.</p><p>Throughout the outcry stemming from the death of Floyd and several other African Americans at the hands of the police, LeBron made sure that his voice was heard. He used his influence and his platform to call for real change in America, and while he was also criticized by others for being too outspoken, the Lakers superstar did not let the naysayers deter him from his objectives.</p><p>The guilty verdict on Chauvin is an undeniably important development in the fight against racial discrimination. For his part, LeBron James clearly understands the gravity of the situation at hand.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers superstar LeBron James’ one-word reaction to guilty verdict on Derek Chauvin in George Floyd case

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Lakers-LeBron-James-Cavs-Kevin-Love-Kyrie-Irving-Nets.jpg"></figure><h1>Kevin Love gets real on potential LeBron James vs. Kyrie Irving NBA Finals matchup</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-20T10:40:48-07:00">April 20th, 10:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-20T10:43:15-07:00">April 20th, 10:43am</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Even if the Los Angeles Lakers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers/schedule">sit at fifth place in the Western Conference</a> and the Brooklyn Nets are a game behind the top spot in the Eastern Conference, a lot of people still expect them to meet in the NBA Finals. After all, the Lakers are the defending champions and still have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, while the Nets have three All-Stars in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.</p><p>One player who wants to see the Lakers and Nets face off in the Finals is Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love. A Lakers-Nets Finals series would mean a meeting between James and Irving, his former teammates with the Cavaliers. In an interview on USA Today’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kulwd3RoAZc"> Sports Seriously,</a> the 32-year-old admitted that<a href="https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2157476?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter"> it would be “odd”</a> to see his teammates that he won a title with back in 2016 on different teams.</p><p>But Love added that seeing James and Irving battle in the Finals is something that people would enjoy.</p><blockquote>“It’d definitely be interesting to see,” Love said of a potential Lakers-Nets Finals. “But I’ll tell you what: Get your popcorn ready because that would be one for the ages there. If everybody’s healthy on both sides, that would be a really amazing Finals with some guys that are first-ballot Hall of Famers. Many first-ballot Hall of Famers.</blockquote><p>There’s still a lot that can happen between now and the NBA Finals, and the Lakers and Nets will certainly face a lot of tough challenges along the way before a potential Finals matchup. But as Love said, the talent and the history between their players should make this a highly-anticipated series.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Love gets real on potential LeBron James vs. Kyrie Irving NBA Finals matchup

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Los-Angeles-Lakers-LeBron-James-Anthony-Davis-Kyle-Kuzma-.jpeg"></figure><h1>Kyle Kuzma’s ‘concerns’ on LeBron James, Anthony Davis return from injury with 14 games left</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-20T05:23:55-07:00">April 20th, 5:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-20T05:25:05-07:00">April 20th, 5:25am</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers are surely ecstatic to welcome LeBron James and Anthony Davis back into the fold.</p><p>Davis (Achilles/calf) has been out since Feb. 14, James (ankle) since March 20. Since LeBron went down, the Lakers have scrapped for seven wins in 16 games, signed a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/is-andre-drummond-the-best-buyout-pickup-ever-that-and-4-other-reactions-to-the-lakers-big-move/">starting center</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-one-big-reason-why-the-lakers-signed-ben-mclemore/">backup wing</a>, and dealt with a <a href="https://theathletic.com/2517714/2021/04/14/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-lakers-successful-seven-game-road-trip/">rash of injuries</a> and lineup alterations.</p><p>Fortunately, the Lakers won’t have to think about “silver linings” or “play-in” games much longer. After two months on the sidelines, Davis is expected to return on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks.</p><p>In his pre-game Zoom Monday, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said Davis is “going to continue to build up over the next two days and see how he’s feeling going into that Dallas game.”</p><p>His return can’t come soon enough.</p><p>Predictably, L.A. (35-23) was unable to keep up with Utah (43-15) at Staples Center on Monday. The Real Jazz (as opposed to Saturday’s iteration) shot 57.3% from the field and hit 15-of-33 from beyond the arc. Quin Snyder’s group dished 29 assists on 43 field goals, while the defending champions hit 43% of their looks and on 17 assists.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>“We had a poor performance, particularly on the offensive end, but defensively, not really great, or good enough, either,” Vogel said.</p><p>The Lakers especially missed Davis’s presence down low. Andre Drummond (3-12 FG) was gobbled up by Rudy Gobert, while the <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1382146171343294470">April struggles </a>of Montrezl Harrell (2 points, 1-4 FG) continued. L.A. was out-rebounded by 10 and outscored 52-36 in the paint.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Montrezl Harrell is back on the floor getting shots up after tonight’s loss. <a href="https://t.co/8otdyz0UoN" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/8otdyz0UoN</a></p><p>— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) <a href="https://twitter.com/jovanbuha/status/1384363927409086464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>If Davis returns Thursday, he’ll do so with 14 games left in the 2020-21 regular season. James is still about two weeks away from returning.</p><p>“It’s still light work on the court, but he is doing court work and progressing each day — just trying to do a little bit more with his activity each day,” Vogel said about James.</p><p>Vogel re-iterated that Davis will play “short, limited minutes,” upon his return as he “ramps up” his conditioning. Regardless: it’ll mark a celebratory occasion for the Lakers.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Even when Anthony returns it’ll be in short, limited minutes," said Vogel.</p><p>Vogel added that LeBron James (ankle sprain) is doing "light court work" and progressing with his activities each day</p><p>— michael corvo (@_michaelcorvo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_michaelcorvo_/status/1384301501250564102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As admirably as L.A. has fought since James joined Davis on the injury list, the ensemble needs their lead actors to sustain the LakeShow; the “big dogs,” as Markieff Morris said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Markieff Morris said the Lakers are "not worried about a play-in at all," and are more amped by being "closer to getting our big dogs back" (AD and LeBron), rather than being roughly a month away from the playoffs.</p><p>— michael corvo (@_michaelcorvo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_michaelcorvo_/status/1383571089930866696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 18, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>“We’re getting healthy at the right time, this is perfect for us,” Markieff Morris said on Saturday. “With this crazy season with all these games, back-to-back nights, and days off in between, without our best two players we’ve held it down for the most part. Now we get them back fully healthy and ready to make a run.”</p><p>The re-assimilation of Davis should be invigorating, but won’t come without obstacles. As Kuzma elucidated after the loss to Utah, Davis is a fulcrum around which players have to learn to orbit. James, on the other hand, naturally elevates the supporting cast.</p><p>“I don’t really think that there are too many concerns,” Kuzma continued. “I think if there was one, it’s guys learning to play with AD more…Guys learning their spots, where to be on the court when he has the ball…This year we really haven’t had to deal with it too much…I think that’s the biggest thing, guys learning how to play with Anthony Davis…LeBron makes the game easier for everyone else. Learning how to play with AD is different. We all have to buy in and sacrifice.”</p><p>AD has been limited to 23 games in 2020-21.</p><p>“Having him out there is going to be really good for us because I think how certain guys fall in line a little bit more as a whole,” Kuzma said. “We can all get back to a little bit of a role and play around him a little bit.”</p><p>The majority of the Lakers’ rotation gelled and won with Davis in 2019-20. However, a handful of folks in the locker room — including Drummond, Harrell, Dennis Schröder, Talen Horton-Tucker (who set a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwESlPnEd9o">career-high 24 points</a> vs. Utah), Ben McLemore, Marc Gasol, and Wesley Matthews — don’t have a ton of reps alongside AD under their belt.</p><p>Drummond, at least, does have on-court experience with Davis, via Team USA.</p><p>“Played with AD for many years with USA Basketball, so the experience is there,” Drummond said Monday. “Look forward to being back on the court with him again. I think he should be back very soon, so very excited to start that bond together on the court.”</p><p>The more pressing chemistry challenge, Kuzma admitted, may present itself in crunch-time.</p><p>“We don’t really know what a closing lineup looks for us this year at all.”</p><p>He’s got a point. Of the Lakers’ <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612747&amp;sort=MIN&amp;dir=1">10 most common</a> 5-man lineups this season, Davis only appears in two. The team’s far most used grouping includes Gasol, who has been relegated from the rotation. The team’s two most-deployed <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612747&amp;sort=MIN&amp;dir=1&amp;Period=4">4th-quarter 5-man groups</a> include Davis, but neither lineup has played 20 fourth-quarter minutes together.</p><p>Presumably, Schröder will be involved in any playoff closing group, joined by James, Davis, Kuzma, and either Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Alex Caruso. Beyond that, the Lakers have a plethora of seasoned vets — along with and Horton-Tucker — that offer viable options down the stretch.</p><p>Ultimately, these are “good” problems, and Kuzma isn’t overly worried about having 14 games to re-incorporate Davis, and even less time to ease James back in.</p><p>“Last year, we had eight games to figure it out and won a championship,” Kuzma said, reference the seeding games in the bubble, when the Lakers struggled to shake off the rust before flipping the switch for a triumphant playoff run.</p><p>Regardless, Kuzma and the Lakers are exceedingly eager to get the taller of their two All-Stars back in time for consecutive contests against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. As Monday’s showing illustrated: the Lakers are ready for reinforcements, yesterday.</p><p>“His ass better play, he’s been out all season long,” Kuzma cracked.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kyle Kuzma’s ‘concerns’ on LeBron James, Anthony Davis return from injury with 14 games left

LeBron James

Stephen Curry

Kevin Durant

Russell Westbrook

James Harden

Kyrie Irving

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Paul George

Damian Lillard

17x All Star

4x Finals MVP

4x NBA Champ

16x All-NBA

2019-20 AST Champ

2003-04 ROY

4x MVP

3x Finals MVP

3x AS MVP

2003-04 All-Rookie

6x All-Defensive

15x All-NBA

3x NBA Champ

2007-08 Scoring Champ

16x All Star

Cleveland Cavaliers

Miami Heat

Los Angeles Lakers

1 season

4 seasons

9 seasons

3 seasons

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1384629525749788676/

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1383901851540545549/

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1382543056818171904/

WOW WOW WOW!!!!! Cmon @luka7doncic you ain’t serious man!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1380569444926300168/

❌4L!! Rest In Paradise LEGEND!! 🐕🐕 

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1379120239187795969/

To one of my fav artist growing up and still to this day DMX, my prayers are with you and sent to the almighty heaven’s above! 🙏🏾❌

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1378765970907361283/

.@Dame_Lillard @AntDavis23 @KlayThompson @DianaTaurasi @Nnemkadi30 THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for taking time out of your busy schedules, trusting me and playing a huge part of Space Jam: A New Legacy!! Means a lot! 🙏🏾✊🏾💪🏾👑 @spacejammovie

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1378684005986443265/

Woke up out of my sleep to use the restroom and thought to myself.... MAN I WANNA HOOP! MISS IT SO MUCH! 🤦🏾‍♂️. Ok anyways back to sleep I go #BasketballJones

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1378546291899174918/

One of the best games I’ve seen in a very long time!!

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
25.4	7.9	7.9	0.6	1.0

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
25.4	7.9	7.9	0.6	1.0