Anthony Davis praises LeBron James’ ‘extraordinary’ performance

Kary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

After the Los Angeles Lakers ended their playoff run last season, fans were shocked when LeBron James suddenly considered retiring. Eventually, he returned for a 21st season, but he left Lakers fans wondering how much he had left in the tank.

The 2022-23 season will be a heavy burden for both James and his partner Anthony Davis, who must spend a lot of energy trying to carry a lackluster roster into the playoffs. Eleven moves into the trade deadline, the four-time champion’s mileage had already caught up when he sprained a tendon in his foot. While I completely dismissed that at the end of the season and into the playoffs, he clearly wasn’t 100 percent yet.

Now, James is starting the 2023-24 season in great fashion, scoring 37 points, dishing out eight assists and grabbing six rebounds against the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Davis praised his partner James for playing high-level basketball to start the season.

“He’s playing really well right now,” Davis said. “His shots are coming down, he’s attacking the paint, making the right reads, doing that on the defensive end. So everything he does is for us. Our job is to try to complement him and do that on our Give him some help with shooting or playmaking. But it doesn’t feel like he’s 38 years old anymore. If we continue to get those performances from him, then our three-point shooting is going to fall off again from the rest of the team, and I Think we’ll be fine.”

The 38-year-old is off to a stellar start to the season, averaging 26.4 points, 6.5 assists and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 58.6% from the field and 39.7% through three games. . As he’s gotten older, James has become more reliant on his jump shot, hitting more mid-range and three-pointers, but he’s struggled to find that consistency.

It looks like having a full offseason to heal and rehabilitate that foot has worked wonders, as he’s shooting almost 40 percent from three and is clearly in a rhythm now. While it may not be ideal for James to be the leading scorer every night, his performance on Sunday proved once again that he’s better than ever before.

Players in their 30s usually retire or enter their final season without producing much, but that’s definitely not the case with James. He looks re-energized, healthy and motivated to lead the Lakers to another championship.

James on recent game: ‘Sometimes you gotta remind people’

LeBron received some criticism when he signed with the Lakers in 2018, as critics believed he came to Los Angeles to develop his brand and make movies. But the 38-year-old remains as motivated as ever and his recent performances have given doubters a heads-up.

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