After the Los Angeles Lakers were swept in the Western Conference Finals last year, LeBron James’ comments about considering retirement set off alarm bells for fans.
It’s a reminder that James is in the latter stages of his career and that his days in the Purple and Gold may be numbered. For Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, the key to the offseason is adding more depth to ease the workload on James and his partner Anthony Davis.
Now five games into the new season, the plan is to limit the four-time champion’s minutes, but he’s averaging 35.6 minutes per game. James has played more minutes than expected after playing two overtimes in the last three games, but it was necessary. On Wednesday, he played 42 minutes in an overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 35 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, leading the Lakers to a comeback win.
Former Lakers player Lou Williams weighed in on the all-time leading scorer after his recent performance, calling him the greatest scorer of all time, via “The Run” on FanDuel TV:
“The greatest player of all time, please give him (LeBron James) flowers.”@TeamLou23 LeBron says he’s the GOAT and you can’t change his mind 🐐
📺: https://t.co/qYBPWhYgh7 pic.twitter.com/QRd35nBQLo
– Running Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 2, 2023
Williams has had a long NBA career and has had his fair share of battles with James, clearly seeing no decline in the soon-to-be 39-year-old player. In these five games, James averaged 24.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, shooting 56.5% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range.
Since James appears to have outlived “Father Time,” the greatest-of-all-time discussion is heating up. Wednesday’s game reminded fans that he can still score 35 points efficiently in minutes when needed. There is simply no other athlete who can take care of his body every offseason like James and continue to perform at such a high level.
The consensus top two in the “GOAT” conversation are James and Michael Jordan, and arguments can be made for either player. But what’s happened so far in James’ 21st season is truly remarkable, and it’s great to see him getting appreciation from someone like Williams.
Jayson Tatum was in awe of James’ performance against Clippers
One of the biggest rising stars in the league is Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who also attended the Lakers’ game against the Clippers on Wednesday. Tatum took to social media to share his surprise at LeBron’s performance.
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