LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers has been defying his age and mileage by putting up some eye-popping numbers lately.
Former NBA forward Chandler Parsons said that if the Lakers had a better record and were winning games with more regularity, he would favor James for the regular season MVP award.
“If they were winning more, he’s my MVP…” 🏆#LakeShow@ChandlerParsons on LeBron James continuing to put up unbelievable stats at age 38#RunItBack | https://t.co/Q9hUtUoPZJ pic.twitter.com/SoqpvBkK8a
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) January 25, 2023
On Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, the 38-year-old erupted for 46 points while going a remarkable 9-of-14 from 3-point range. He also added eight rebounds and seven assists.
But only two of his teammates ended in doubles figures in scoring, and the Lakers got rolled, 133-115, by Kawhi Leonard and company.
James turned 38 on Dec. 30, and starting on that day, he has been averaging 36.1 points, 9.5 boards and 7.8 assists a game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field, a span that has lasted 11 games. During that span, he has surpassed the 40-point barrier four times.
On the season, he is putting up 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.9 dimes per game.
With Anthony Davis sidelined due to a stress injury in his right foot for over a month, James has been singlehandedly keeping the Lakers from sinking to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They’re still within striking distance of not only the 10th spot in the conference, but also the sixth spot.
Luckily, Davis is very close to returning to game action, as are guards Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves. In addition, Los Angeles traded for forward Rui Hachimura on Monday, and he could make his debut on Wednesday when it hosts the San Antonio Spurs.
Having Hachimura on board should not only help reduce James’ workload a bit, but possibly also reduce his playing time a bit. He is averaging 36.2 minutes per game, which is among the league leaders and is simply too much for someone with the amount of wear and tear he has.
James has made it clear he cares mostly about winning championships at this point of his career, and tired or not, he will continue to do what he can to help the Lakers pile up wins.
