LOS ANGELES – Ever since the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship, they have made only one deep playoff run in the last four seasons. In 2021 and 2024 they were eliminated in the first round while failing to make the playoffs in 2022. At Lakers media day on Monday, LeBron James spoke about what it meant to finally play meaningful basketball at the Olympics making a gold medal run with Team USA.

“It felt damn good, it felt great to play meaningful basketball, like literally play for the highest level. We had like two Game 7’s back to back. One vs. Serbia and then that last one vs. France where it was like, ‘oh s**t,’ this is why,” James said. “That fire and desire was brought back to me. . .to have that feeling again where you’re playing meaningful, real, every possession means something. If you make a mistake it burns you, things like that. That was good to relive that moment.”

LeBron James and the Lakers were most recently eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs in five games. The Lakers did not make any free agency moves; they were the only team in the league to not do so.

If James and the Lakers want to play meaningful basketball late into the postseason, they’re going to be relying on pretty much the same roster from last season. With some small differences though. Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt are both expected to play major roles this season after missing most of last year due to injury.

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But a big reason why the Lakers might be optimistic about this season is quite simple, LeBron James. James is entering his 22nd season in the NBA and hasn’t shown any signs of a decline.

He appeared in 71 games last year at a little over 35 minutes per game. He averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals with splits of 54 percent shooting from the field, 41 percent shooting from the three-point line and 75 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

In the playoffs, James 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 56.6 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from the three-point line and 73.9 percent from the free-throw line.