LeBron James has emerged as a defensive force once again after taking years off from the less-lauded end of the floor. Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has noticed his intensity and praised his leadership after James said the formula to become the best team in the league would start with the team's commitment to defense.

James has also worked with Phil Handy, a renowned player development assistant, who has a reputation as one of the game’s most diligent defensive gurus.

“Whatever the history is (between him and James), LeBron has been a leader,” Vogel told Sam Amick of The Athletic, as James is averaging 25.2 points, a league-leading 10.8 assists, 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals. “To me, the best leaders are the ones that follow the lead of the coach. Forgetting the history and all that, he’s been great since I’ve been here. I’ve tried to present a vision of a style of play that makes sense, that fits our personnel, and he has kind of gotten behind that.”

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Vogel was then a coach of those pesky Indiana Pacers teams that James has faced throughout his career playing in the East. The 2019-20 season is in ways an experiment to see how James would mesh with Vogel, and results couldn't have been better thus far.

The Lakers are flying high with the best record in the league at 14-2, using Vogel's tactical savvy and James' leadership as prime cogs to their success.