Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant says LeBron James is playing “with a chip on his shoulder” this season.
After missing the playoffs last season for the first time since his second year in the league, James sat back all summer and heard all these pundits slander his name. As he always does, James took the high road and focused on what he can control.
Now, LeBron is playing like an MVP again since he’s healthy and has the Lakers at 34-9, which is the best record in the Western Conference:
“He's coming in this year with a chip on his shoulder obviously because of what everybody was saying that he's washed up,” Kobe Bryant said about LeBron James, via USA TODAY Sports. “When I first came into the league, the average age was like 33 or 32. Now that you're 35, [the narrative], is ‘You're washed up and you're dying.’ It’s kind of silly. But I think he's doing a fantastic job.”
James averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 55 games last season. The four-time MVP most likely leads the Lakers to the playoffs if he doesn’t hurt his groin on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors.
The groin injury forced James to miss 17 consecutive games. The Lakers went 6-11 during that stretch and fell out of the playoff picture out West.
This season, LeBron is putting up 25.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and a career-high 11.0 assists. He’s shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from beyond the arc and 69.9 percent from the free-throw line.
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