Being the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers have a huge target on their back and teams just seem to play harder against them. Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves certainly did.

In the February 16 game between the Lakers and Timberwolves, Edwards had quite the game finishing with 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and logging in some defensive numbers. LeBron gave Edwards a post-game hug.

The Lakers star was asked about his thoughts on how he continues to play elite basketball and on the latest number one overall pick, who was just two-years-old when James was drafted.

LeBron said,”…he's a great kid. Obviously, we know what he can do with the game of basketball. He showed that tonight…Hopefully, for me throughout my career, I inspire the younger generation to want to be a part of this league and want to be great…”

 

The Lakers beat the Timberwolves 112-104, despite missing Anthony Davis due to calf issues. James led the team with 30 points, 13 boards, and seven assists. It was a surprisingly tight contest, considering the two teams are on opposite ends of the Western Conference standings. This can be attributed to the absence of Davis and the presence of Timberwolves star Karl – Anthony Towns, who had a quiet, but efficient outing.

With a shorthanded Lakers squad, LeBron has had to play extended minutes for Los Angeles and recently had a streak of having to close out quite a few overtime games. The 36-year old James much like Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shows no signs of slowing down or passing the torch.