Insane Stat Shows How Badly LeBron James Shut Down Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in Restart Opener

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has faced criticism for his defense in recent years.

However, during the Lakers’ dramatic win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, the 35-year-old put in a terrific performance while guarding Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

James’ defensive performance was highlighted by clamping Leonard and George on the final possession of the game between the Lakers and Clippers.

So far this season, James has 3.5 defensive win shares, which is his highest total since the 2015-16 season.

With the Lakers losing guard Avery Bradley, who is arguably the team’s best defender, James will surely have to step his game up on defense for the rest of the season.

The three-time NBA champion is averaging 25.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game this season.

The Lakers are currently in first place in the Western Conference with a record of 50-14. Their next game is against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.