Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James managed to show his leadership capabilities in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, with teammate Quinn Cook indicating that James was focused on keeping Lakers players motivated for a potential return.
Quinn Cook used an example from their group text about LeBron’s leadership: "‘Bron sent a text after 2 weeks or so when we all hadn’t been together: ‘Miss you guys.’ Just something uplifting like, ‘Can’t wait to get back on the floor with you guys, finish what we started.’"
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 11, 2020
At the time that James communicated with his teammates, there was no guarantee that the 2019-20 season would resume and the depressing nature of being quarantined was something affecting much of the entire world.
The reason for James’ enthusiasm about the possible return of action was because when the March 11 NBA shutdown took place, the Lakers had the best record in the Western Conference at 49-14.
Coupled with that excitement is James’ unquenchable desire to win a championship, something that’s taken place three times during the course of his legendary career.
Those first two titles for James were won as a member of the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, while his last championship came when he led his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to a historic comeback victory in 2016.
In addition to those three titles, James’ teams have reached the NBA Finals on six other occasions, so the future Hall of Famer has taken it upon himself to serve as the Lakers’ leader.
By accepting that often difficult leadership role, James was fulfilling the hopes of Lakers management, which saw him as an integral building block when they signed him in 2018.
The Lakers’ renewed push to a title will officially get underway on July 30, when they face the Los Angeles Clippers in Orlando, Fla. Given the unique circumstances of this unprecedented setup, the next few months are a complete unknown, but the Lakers have the certainty of knowing that James will be leading the charge.
