LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers faced off against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, and it was an opportunity for the defending champs to improve their record early in the season.

L.A. has opened their title defense with two losses in their first five games, which has led to a bit of frustration for the squad. The Lakers' rather lackluster start was pretty much epitomized by a botched James dunk against the Spurs, which the four-time MVP quickly (and literally) bounced back from.

Here's a look at LeBron showcasing his unbridled athleticism at the tender age of 36, as he performed an impressive flip off the floor after a missed dunk attempt:

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NBA Legend Shaquille O'Neal looked back at his breif stint with LeBron James & the Cavaliers and wishes he'd arrived two years sooner.

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LeBron James celebrated his 36th birthday on Wednesday, which he capped off with a win against the Spurs. Friday's matchup was a rematch against coach Gregg Popovich's side, as the Lakers were able to make it back-to-back wins against San Antonio.

For his part, LeBron has had a strong start to the campaign thus far and is averaging 23.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.0 steal, all while connecting on 47.3 percent of his shots overall–including 2.2 triples per game on a 35.5-percent clip. Clearly, The King has no problem finding his form early in the season despite a shortened break.