Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James offers incredible athletic skills on the court, but teammate Anthony Davis points out that James’ mental makeup is a key reason for the team’s success this season.
Anthony Davis on challenging LeBron: "We all have respect for each other and have the confidence to go up to whoever and try to get him going. The fact that he listens and everyone on the team listens and can accept criticism from our guys is what makes us so good."
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) December 14, 2019
James helped the Lakers improve their 2019-20 record to 23-3 with a 113-110 road win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.
The victory marked the Lakers’ sixth consecutive win, with James delivering a double-double with 28 points and 12 assists, while also adding nine rebounds.
The success enjoyed by the Lakers this season has not only been connected to the willingness of James and his teammates to accept criticism. The addition of Davis during the offseason has delivered a superstar player to the Lakers lineup. He’s currently enjoying season averages of 27.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 blocks per game.
Yet James, who turns 35 on Dec. 30, is thriving in his 17th NBA season, averaging 25.9 points, 10.8 assists and 7.1 rebounds per contest. He’s also remained healthy after enduring an injury-plagued season with the Lakers last year, when he was limited to a career-low 55 games.
The injury woes of James last season kept the Lakers out of the postseason for the sixth consecutive year. Barring any catastrophic injuries in the months ahead, that playoff drought should come to an end, with the Lakers in position to potentially make a deep run.
The next step in that process will come on Sunday, when the Lakers continue their road trip with a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Lakers will conclude their five-game road swing on Thursday night in what should be a fantastic battle against the Milwaukee Bucks, who are currently tied with the Lakers for the best record in the league.
