On Monday night, the Lakers lost to the Timberwolves, and things didn’t go well for LeBron James. He scored his season-low just a day after breaking an NBA record by joining the 15,000 field goal club. With LeBron getting older, playing back-to-back games has raised questions about whether he should take some rest.
After the second game of the season, LeBron James shared his goal to play all 82 games in the Purple and Gold, showing his dedication to not miss any action. Even though he stays in shape pretty well for his age, the game against the Timberwolves made me worry about him playing two games in a row without a break.
In the post-game press conference, Lakers coach JJ Redick addressed whether LeBron should take time off to recover. He said, “He does a remarkable job of taking care of his body and getting recovery. I don’t know if that’s in the best interest of him and us if he [plays all 82 games].”
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick on LeBron James commitment to play all 82 games this season:
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) December 3, 2024
“I don’t know if it’s in the best interest of him and us if he does that.”
Redick mentioned that, although the Lakers want him to play every night, “managing” his minutes could… pic.twitter.com/xexLErk7mG
He added, “But if he’s feeling well and feeling good, we should play. But we obviously want to manage that as best as we can.” However, LeBron is not thinking much about his underperformance at all.
LeBron James shuts down all concerns
LeBron James hasn’t been playing as well lately. He seems slower, and his moves aren’t as quick as before, which makes sense after so many years in the game. After Jazz’s game, LeBron responded that he’s still adjusting to his new role under Coach Redick, which doesn’t require him to perform as much as he once did.
LeBron: "This is the lowest usage rate of my career, so it's definitely been an adjustment. … (Today) felt like normal for myself, but the way we wanna play this year is different."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) December 2, 2024
After 22 years of leading his teams, this change is something he’s not used to. He said, “This is the lowest usage rate of my career, so it’s definitely been an adjustment. … (Today) felt normal for myself, but the way we wanna play this year is different.”
