Earlier this week, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James turned 40 years old, marking another milestone for one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. The Lakers currently sit at 18-14 after Tuesday evening's home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, a game in which James returned from a brief injury absence to score 23 points.

Recently, footage was unearthed from what appeared to be James' 40th birthday party, and as part of the festivities, the Kid from Akron rapped along to a verse from Kendrick Lamar (via NFR Podcast on X, formerly Twitter).

https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1874505262486487373

In his first game since turning 40, James looked solid if not great against his former team the Cavaliers, who are currently on pace to finish with over 72 wins this season.

James may not be quite the athlete that he was back when he suited up for the wine and gold but he remains one of the league's smartest players, having also increased his three-point marksmanship over the years to make up for that lost explosivity.

Can the Lakers maximize LeBron's final years?

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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While he hasn't given an exact date or season as to when he plans to retire, every indication is that we are in the twilight days of LeBron James' career, which has been the most accomplished in NBA history.

The Lakers' front office, led by Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka, has come under heavy scrutiny in recent years for their perceived lack of willingness to surround James and co-star Anthony Davis with premium supporting talent, instead electing to hold onto future assets in preparation for the post-James era.

However, the team recently did swing a trade with the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in exchange for D'Angelo Russell, who appeared to have mentally checked out for the Lakers so far this year.

Finney-Smith and Milton may not be enough to help Los Angeles compete with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Dallas Mavericks in the West, but they do even out what had been an unbalanced roster and also give the Lakers flexibility to make future moves, considering no first round picks were given up in the process.

In any case, the Lakers will next take the floor on Thursday evening at home against the Portland Trail Blazers. That game is slated to tip off at 10:30 PM ET.