LeBron James has fended off Father Time better than just about any superstar in NBA history. On Tuesday night, after the Los Angeles Lakers demolished the Boston Celtics, James divulged his secret to aging gracefully: he doesn't think about it.
LeBron led the Lakers (13-12) to a satisfying 117-102 victory at Staples Center. It was a bounce-back performance from Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers — for which admitted to being out of rhythm and “pretty sh*tty” on defense after spending two days in isolation due to a false positive COVID-19 test.
In 36 minutes, James scored 30 points on 13-of-19 shooting and led the Lakers with a +18. He quarterbacked arguably the Lakers' best defensive performance of the season and inarguably their most impressive two-way game of 2021-22.
"If we defend at a high level that we know we're capable of like we did tonight, then we give ourselves a good chance to win every night."
LeBron James 👑pic.twitter.com/4Ep7P6ygHz
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 8, 2021
It was also just the Lakers' third game in seven games. Afterward, LeBron was asked about how he felt on Tuesday compared to Friday, and whether the extended rest was especially beneficial for this veteran-laded Lakers group.
“I didn’t feel great going into that game because I was put into solitary confinement. So that was the main reason for that. For me, I don’t really believe in a lot of days in between, whatever the case may be. That’s just my mindset. I don’t really get involved into how many minutes I play. I don’t confine to that. I think when you think negative thoughts, negative energy, it just creeps into your mind. I’m as young as I’ve ever been.”
James is averaging nearly 37 minutes per game this season, which would be his highest mark since 2016-17. However, the Lakers have played multiple overtime games and James has only appeared in 13 games.
🔥 Bron x Brodie 🔥@KingJames (30 PTS, 5 AST) and @russwest44 (24 PTS, 11 AST) lead the way in the @Lakers win! pic.twitter.com/DJ9etLarR5
— NBA (@NBA) December 8, 2021
James was buoyed by strong showings from Russell Westbrook (24 points, 11 assists) and Anthony Davis (17 points, 16 rebounds).
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