Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James may be entering his 21st NBA season, but if a recent report from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin is any indication, the future Hall of Famer is still full steam ahead.
According to McMenamin, James has “revamped energy” going into the 2023-24 campaign and been putting in work this offseason.
“The term that was used when I asked about how LeBron’s feeling going into this year was ‘revamped energy,’ a source close to LeBron told me,” said McMenamin. “And you think about this summer, his top priority was getting medical care and attention, seeking out specialists for his son Bronny, who had that heart ailment affect him at his early practice with USC. But as part of that, while LeBron was traveling along with Bronny, he was finding gyms. And I’m told that he started before the sun came up, was his regular routine, and in the weeks leading up to training camp opening up next week, he’s been doing two-a-day practices.”
The fact that the Lakers have had a very productive offseason has perhaps been an extra source of motivation for the elder James, who’s likely entirely aware of the fact that his squad has a chance to be dangerous this season.
By retaining key players and adding newcomers like Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and others, the Lakers are in good shape to build off their Western Conference Finals appearance last season. L.A.’s offseason has generated plenty of praise around the NBA, with many folks expecting the team to be among the best in the West when the new campaign begins.
The Lakers also might not be done yet, with a recent report linking them to veteran guard Jrue Holiday.
Availability issues have started to plague the elder James in recent years, but he has remained productive regardless. Across 55 games in the 2022-23 regular season, he averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per contest while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc.
He’d surely love nothing more than to combine productivity with availability in the upcoming campaign.
The Lakers will open their season on Oct. 24 against the Denver Nuggets in a rematch of the Western Conference Finals. The matchup should give folks an immediate chance to see how L.A. measures up against one of the biggest title threats in the NBA this season.
With the elder James clearly motivated to make the most out of the new campaign, the Lakers have a lot to look forward to. This could be the superstar’s final season in Los Angeles, so fans are certainly going to cherish it.
