While the rest of the NBA is busy getting ready for opening night, it appears that Los Angeles Lakers stud LeBron James is already way ahead of the pack at this point in the preseason. According to team president Magic Johnson, his prized superstar is already in “midseason form.”
“LeBron comes in, and he’s already in midseason form and shooting fadeaways and 3-pointers from almost half-court,” Johnson said, via Greg Beacham of AP News. “And you’re sitting there saying, ‘Man, thank God we signed him.’”
To say that Johnson is thrilled with the most significant signing of his brief tenure as the Lakers' head honcho would be an understatement. The 59-year-old team executive had nothing but good things to say about James.
Article Continues Below“Just to see all of them together playing a pickup game, oh my goodness,” Johnson said. “It’s something to watch. I’ve watched LeBron from afar. I’ve been at many of his games. But to watch him in the gym is a whole different thing. How much he makes everybody better, but also how he raises everybody’s level of play. His basketball IQ and his leadership ability, it’s all on display.”
The acquisition of LeBron is a once-in-a-generation type of coup which appears to be the first step towards the team's return to glory. The storied franchise has been in search of its next cornerstone star in the post-Kobe Bryant era, and Magic has absolutely struck gold with LeBron.
Johnson is obviously excited, so it would only be right for Lakers supporters to follow suit.