When a sustained brand of greatness endures for over two decades, such as LeBron James’s career, certain present moments can evoke inadvertent connections to the past. Witnessing James effortlessly dismantle the New Orleans Pelicans in the final game of the 2023-24 regular season, I found myself reflecting on 2015 and the advantages LeBron enjoys today, at 39, that were unavailable to him at the age of 30. In essence, I was amazed after witnessing LeBron’s latest display of time-defying skill.
Nine years ago, during the 2015 Finals against the Warriors, LeBron largely stood alone: Kevin Love had dislocated his shoulder in the first round, and Kyrie Irving fractured his kneecap in Game 1 against Golden State. Faced with a transformative offensive onslaught from the Warriors, James resorted to what would be termed caveman ball—a rugged, survivalist style of play that prioritized quantity over quality for the first time in his career. He attempted a remarkable 196 field goals in six games, the highest number of attempts he’s made in any of the 53 playoff series he’s played since his debut in 2006. “I don’t enjoy being as inefficient as I was. I don’t enjoy that,” James remarked after losing the Finals in Game 6. “I don’t enjoy dribbling the ball for countless seconds on the shot clock and the team looking at me to make a play.” In that elimination loss, LeBron’s desperate Cavaliers totaled only 14 assists—yet against the Pelicans on Sunday, LeBron tallied 13 assists in the first half alone. Overhead passes to cutters, shovel passes to open shooters, towering lobs to Anthony Davis—it marked the most assists LeBron had ever recorded in a single half of play. Even in Game no. 82 of his 21st year, something novel.
It’s how I imagine James would prefer to play every game if he could: making simple, instinctual reads he can (and likely does) make in his sleep, rewarding his teammates for being in the right place at the right time, executing when called upon, and overpowering opponents when driving to the basket. For someone who hadn’t yet clinched a playoff berth, he played with the serenity one feels when firmly established in a routine. He’s been here before—this will be his third play-in tournament in the five seasons it’s existed. He was a trailblazer as recently as this season, when he was named the inaugural NBA Cup MVP. There’s nothing in this league LeBron hasn’t encountered. And if there is, he can be certain that no one else in the league has either.
The Lakers’ victory on Sunday positions them favorably in the tournament: Should they defeat the Pelicans once again on national television, they will secure a playoff spot against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. Lose, and they’ll have another opportunity on Friday night against either the Warriors or Sacramento Kings, with a chance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the moments after the game, as memories of LeBron’s initial postseason clashes with the Warriors surfaced, I contemplated a particular scenario: With Denver as the no. 2 seed, might the Lakers deliberately lose their initial no. 7 vs. no. 8 play-in game against New Orleans to avoid the most daunting playoff matchup in the NBA? Would it be ethical to manipulate the game in such a manner? Or would it be denying the essence of the game not to arrange a potential win-or-go-home showdown between LeBron and Steph Curry—the icons of this basketball era—just one more time?
Source: theringer.com
