The Los Angeles Lakers fell short of their goals this past season, but hope springs anew in the National Basketball Association. James and the Lakers have added his son Bronny James along with Tennessee sharp-shooter Dalton Knecht among other offseason additions.
James seems focused, as usual, on his legacy heading toward the home stretch of this offseason. The “Kid From Akron” shared a tongue-in-cheek message about his offensive skills recently that seemed aimed at doubters and detractors like Dennis Rodman who have criticized his repertoire of moves in the past.
James retweeted a short video clip from a page called ‘LBJHistory,' which stated that he displayed ‘Pure Skill' and was ‘cooking' in the 2015 NBA Playoffs. James followed it up with his own caption. “Pure brute strength and just running people over my whole career!” James wrote. “No skill detected,” he added with a face-palming emoji at the end of his repost on Instagram.
The James comments were shared at a time when Lakers legend James Worthy revealed his thoughts on the excitement surrounding Clippers owner Steve Ballmer's new fan-friendly experience in Inglewood, California at the Intuit Dome. Lakers coach JJ Redick was in the news, dropping a ‘sicko' comment on his coaching staff that caught the attention of Lake Show fans.
James' tongue-in-cheek demeanor is not something new that Lakers fans haven't seen before. It may also foreshadow how he plans to play things heading into this upcoming season alongside his son Bronny James, should the younger James make the team.
LeBron's 2024-2025 outlook
James was voted as the best player on Team USA's 2024 Summer Olympics squad by his teammates and then went and backed it up with stellar play against a ‘Who's Who' of international competition.
James' Olympic performance shows he is capable of competing with and beating the best in short spurts. The NBA season is different. It's a grind, and James will cross the 40-year-old barrier later this year which will add to fanfare and speculation about how he and JJ Redick's Lakers team will turn out.
James may need to save himself for the playoff run. He might spend more time on the bench than usual, taking quick breaks throughout the games to keep his gas tank full for crunch time. James and the Lakers know this season won't be easy. Bronny James likely isn't ready to be a major contributor and Dalton Knecht likely won't be more than a bit player in year one. The fun starts soon for the Lakers. For the omni-present and always self-aware James, it never really stopped.