LeBron James is entering his 21st NBA season and his sixth as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. The injuries James has had to deal with have hurt this team’s chances of returning to the NBA Finals after winning the 2020 NBA Bubble, but even at age 38, James seems to be back to his old self in training camp explosive force.
Head coach Davon Hamm spoke to the media on Wednesday about the team’s progress early in training camp and addressed LeBron’s foot injury that will sideline him through the end of the 2022-23 season and limit his abilities.
“Without a doubt,” Ham said firmly when asked if James’ explosiveness is back, via Michael Corvo of ClutchPoints. “He’s an older, wiser guy on and off the court. “The way he picks his spots is very calculated… He’s 100 percent healthy, he looks good, and he looks like he’s in third grade. Or LeBron in fourth grade. “
Davon Hamm says there’s “no doubt” LeBron is back from foot injury. “He’s 100 percent healthy… He looks like a third- or fourth-year LeBron.”
Hamm said the help around LeBron should keep him explosive throughout the season, so when the Lakers “get to where we’re going, he’ll be… pic.twitter.com/1fzatbfwq8
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) October 4, 2023
If there’s anything that could excite Lakers fans, it’s not only hearing that LeBron is healthy, but that he’s as light on his feet as he was when he entered the league two decades ago.
The continued success James has achieved is truly remarkable. He remains one of the best players in the league and recently became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader in the 2022-23 season, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s legendary record. No one thought he would be conquered.
Although he only played 55 games due to injury, James still averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, while shooting 50.0% from the field. LeBron may not have the stamina he once had, but when he’s on the court, the Lakers have a chance to win any game they play.
Ham said he’s “100 percent healthy,” which is good news for Los Angeles. Despite being swept in the Western Conference Finals a few months ago, the Lakers enter the 2023-24 season as a team that truly believes they can win the Western Conference.
As long as LeBron James can play and stay healthy, they have a good chance of achieving the above goals.