LeBron James savored the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-108 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night.
After all, the win allowed the Lakers to officially secure the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
Not since Kobe Bryant was still playing for the Purple and Gold have the Lakers owned the top seed in the West heading into the postseason. It was a decade ago when they last accomplished the feat.
“Since 2010, right?” James told the Los Angeles Times. “They said I couldn’t do it.
“I’ll enjoy this one. They said I can’t do it.”
James contributed 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists to the Lakers’ cause. He leads the team and the league in assists with an average of 10.4 assists a game.
“I can just say it feels damn good to be the number one seed in the West,” James said. “For me, personally.”
When the Lakers signed James to a multi-year deal in the 2018 offseason, the four-time MVP was expected to carry the franchise back to its former glory days. Unfortunately, injuries to James and other key players prevented the team from making it to the 2019 playoffs.
With the acquisition of All-Star forward Anthony Davis last summer and the addition of veterans such as Dwight Howard and Danny Green, James finally has a team that can seriously contend for a championship.
Davis was brilliant against the Jazz, as he shook off a poor performance against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. He finished Monday’s game with 42 points and 12 rebounds, easily improving upon his totals against the Raptors.
Though the Lakers have secured the top spot in the West, they are still far from a well-oiled machine after the long layoff due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The rest of the regular season should offer the perfect opportunity for them to prepare for their upcoming playoffs run.
