Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James’ first season with the team last year was marred by injuries that limited him to just 55 games, the fewest of his 16-year NBA career.
That’s led some critics to claim that James is now on the downside of his career, but the veteran took to social media to offer video evidence of his preparation for the upcoming year.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1166801556051828741
The work ethic of the 34-year-old James has never been in question, which helps explain why he continues to deliver top-notch performances. For all the criticism of his alleged decline, his statistical averages last season largely mirrored his contributions to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018. That was when his team reached the NBA Finals for an incredible eighth year in a row and ninth time in his legendary career.
In 2018-19, James averaged 27.4 points per game, compared to 27.5 the year before with the Cavaliers. In the area of rebounding, he grabbed an average of 8.5 per game, in comparison to his 8.6 average in Cleveland. For assists, his average did drop slightly: from 9.1 to 8.3 per contest. While his average steals saw a minor dip from 1.4 to 1.3 for each game.
In short, the idea that James is now washed up because the Lakers failed to make the playoffs last year is an absurd notion. That misguided perception will only fuel his unquenchable desire to prove his critics wrong, something he’s done on a regular basis since his high school days.
This season, the tandem of James and Anthony Davis offers the Lakers arguably one of the greatest pair of starting forwards in NBA history. While the injury to DeMarcus Cousins was a setback for the Lakers, the expected contributions of both James and Davis will help partially alleviate that issue. James is offering visual evidence that he’s ready for whatever’s thrown at him in the year ahead.
