Lakers stars LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell combine 20 years of experience in one moment of genius

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets 119-107 on Tuesday night in their first game of the 2023-24 season. It’s a frustrating result for James and the Lakers, who were looking to exact revenge on Denver after ending Los Angeles’ season in the Western Conference Finals last postseason.

Despite this, James provided during the game There is another example Why he’s the smartest player in timeouts in basketball history.

James, his microphone raised NBA on TNT He was talking to D’Angelo Russell when a microphone caught him imparting some basketball wisdom to his point guard.

“This game, the next game, we have to exploit you in the pick-and-roll,” Russell said.

“The pick-and-roll, and the elbow,” James replied. “When I catch the ball at my elbow, I can’t score. I see everything.”

James is arguably the most dangerous person with a basketball in the NBA’s hands, even at 21 years old, because of his ability to see plays before they happen. While James’ athleticism and physical attributes are well known, his basketball IQ has always been his No. 1 asset, and it’s an aspect of his game that won’t diminish even as he approaches 39 years old.

Still, the Lakers are 0-1 on the new season and will look to bounce back Thursday at home against the Phoenix Suns. The game is expected to kick off at 10:00 pm ET at Crypto.com Arena.