With his team leading by a wide margin in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations and NBA legend Magic Johnson stopped for a brief chat with LeBron James' business associates, Maverick Carter and Rich Paul, who were both seated courtside.
Lakers exec Magic Johnson taking a moment to say hello to the LeBron James team because, well, you never know: Agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports and business manager Maverick Carter pic.twitter.com/f32ryKb5Lr
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) March 12, 2018
With Johnson watching, James posted 24 points on 9-20 shooting from the field (2-8 from downtown), 10 rebounds, seven assists, one block and one steal in 31 minutes of action for the injury-ridden Cavaliers.
“What's your biggest area of concern right now?” a reporter asked James following Sunday's game.
“Our injuries,” James replied. “At the end of the day, you gotta want the most out of whoever you've got on the floor. You want to get the most from whoever is playing, but sometimes you just can't overcome this many injuries. We have pretty much five guys out of our top ten out of the rotation or not playing because of injuries. It's next man up, but sometimes you just fall short.”
LeBron explains the hardship of @cavs rash of injuries: "It's next man up, but sometimes you just fall short." pic.twitter.com/7SVDUXN9Vt
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) March 12, 2018
As most hoops fans know, James can become a free agent at the end of this season. Obviously, Johnson and the Lakers are interested in acquiring the King, and they'll have the resources to do so.
James, now 33 years of age and in his 15th season of NBA service, is showing no signs of regression. In fact, it's just the opposite. The Kid from Akron has played in 66 games with the Cavs this season, averaging 26.9 points on 54.3 percent shooting from the field (37.1 percent from beyond the arc), 9.0 assists and 8.4 rebounds.
There are some who think James is content with riding off into a Wine and Gold sunset. However, there are others who believe the three-time champion will take his talents elsewhere (again).
The Lakers — now the 3rd-ranked team in the Pacific Division standings with a 30-36 overall record — will be back in action on Tuesday night, as they're scheduled to host the Denver Nuggets inside the Staples Center. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. EST with NBA TV having live broadcast coverage.
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