LeBron James took a ridiculous amount of abuse from fans after the LA Lakers lost a fluke game to the Sacramento Kings this week. During the game, cameras spotted LeBron sitting on the end of the bench away from the team (as he often does) during a timeout, while head coach JJ Redick was giving instructions.
42-Year-Old LeBron James Torches Atlanta Hawks: 31 Points, 10 Dimes, 9 Boards
There were numerous headlines by different social media posts and blogs and sports content pushers that Bron seemed “disengaged.” As if he had checked out on the team. That’s a word that doesn’t sit well with the 23-year veteran, who has always prioritized his body and playing as hard as he can for as long as he can.
All he did was come back with a 31/10/9 masterpiece stat line on Tuesday night in a resounding 141-116 win over a Hawks team that just traded their superstar player Trae Young to the Washington Wizards.
LeBron James Quotes Jay-Z When Addresses Those Accusing Him Of Being Disengaged This Season
Bron had some words for the naysayers, critics and people trying to accuse him of cheating the game.
“I would never disrespect the Basketball Gods when it comes to playing this game. So I put the time and the effort and the commitment in … as Jay-Z would say, if you can’t respect that, your whole perspective is whack, and maybe you’ll love me when I fade to black.”
Bron used a Jay-Z quote from the song “December 4th” in his comment to the press.
“If you can’t respect that your whole perspective is wack
Maybe you’ll love me when I fade to black.”
Prisoners Of The Moment: NBA Season Is 82-Game Marathon Plus Playoffs, Not A Sprint
The NBA season is an 82-game marathon and if you react game-to-game you’ll go crazy. Social media poured it on a bit thick. Frustrated Lakers fans and MJ faithful who have anointed Luka Doncic as new King of LA hoops, didn’t have anyone to blame for the miserable loss (and Doncic his numbers) so they blamed James.
This is how it will be over the next 45 regular season games and leading into the playoffs. Despite the harsh criticism from the social media moshpit, LeBron has definitely stepped his game up in the absence of No. 2 scorer Austin Reaves. Luka continues to play subpar to miserable defense while getting buckets. He’s still leading the league in points per game (33.2). Meanwhile, Bron is doing it all on the court; passing, running the offense, defending, scoring. Embarrassing ballers half his age.
DeAndre Ayton has also played a huge role in solidifying the Lakers’ post presence. He’s been getting some double doubles and was a real force in the Hawks game.
The Lakers may not look to be among the elite teams in the NBA right now, but they have all of the pieces. When everyone is healthy, they are a championship contender and the continued hard play of LeBron James is a main reason why.
