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- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar blames poor start to season for Lakers, says they looked ‘gassed’ in playoffs
- Report: There are ‘corners’ of Lakers organization that want to bring back D’Angelo Russell
- Report: ‘Door is not closed’ on Kyrie Irving joining Lakers in future even if he re-signs with Mavs this offseason
- Lakers insider doesn’t think team will sign Anthony Davis to extension this summer
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar mentions sad truth about relationship with LeBron James while describing admiration for him
- Report: Kyrie Irving wants to shut down notion that he’s ‘angling’ to get to Lakers
- Gilbert Arenas says LeBron James will be behind Karl Malone if he goes to Dallas Mavericks
- Jaren Jackson Jr. calls LeBron James the ‘greatest player to play’ the game of basketball
- Report: Lakers have maintained that they have no interest in Kyrie Irving
LeBron James says his main focus for Lakers this season will be his availability
- Updated: September 26, 2022
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Though most NBA fans would agree that there are very few things that four-time MVP and four-time champion LeBron James can improve on, the man himself touched on something that he wants to focus on in the 2022-23 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
James made it clear that he simply wants to work on being more available for his team in the upcoming season.
Individually, LeBron's focus for this season:
“I’m gonna focus my game on being available … to be available on the floor.”
He's played 55, 67, 45 and 56 games in his 4 Lakers seasons.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) September 26, 2022
Though James was once a picture of dependability and health, he has certainly become more fragile as he has aged. He’ll turn 38 years old in the 2022-23 season and try to buck his recent trend of missing time due to injuries.
LeBron James: "I'm fully healthy."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) September 26, 2022
While remaining healthy is obviously a goal for every professional athlete, it is often easier said than done. That’s especially true for athletes who are getting up there in age.
Still, just because James is 37 years old does not mean that he is no longer one of the best players in the NBA. Last season, he averaged an astounding 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. He shot 52.4 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from deep.
If he can replicate that kind of production and remain healthy for the vast majority of the season, the Lakers could very easily turn things around.
However, James is just a part of the equation for success for the Lakers. His teammate Anthony Davis, who has also been bit by the injury bug often in recent seasons, will also have to remain healthy if the Lakers want to seriously contend for a playoff spot and more.
If both players can remain healthy throughout the upcoming season, there’s no reason not to believe that the Lakers can be one of the better teams in the NBA. If they deal with injuries and miss a lot of time, the Lakers could be at serious risk of missing the playoffs yet again.
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