https://www.betbasics.com/nba/players/lebron-james-20000571/Tom Brady met Aaron Judge the other day.
Next up, we need LeBron James to meet Cristiano Renaldo.
December, apparently, is Athlete Nostalgia month. Players who are past their prime (sorry Judge, we know you ruled baseball last season and got a sweet $360 million deal from the Yankees, but you’ll be 31 when next season begins and, well, hopefully Brady shared some of his TB10 Fountain of Youth Extract).
Yes, Brady and Judge still are playing at a high level. Renaldo (37) came off the bench for Portugal in a 6-1 win over Switzerland, marking the first time he hasn’t started a World Cup match since 2006, his first tournament. LeBron (37) has played well but he’s already missed six of the Lakers first 22 games.
Portugal is on to the quarterfinals and considering that the man who replaced Renaldo in the starting lineup, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat trick, makes it clear that a changing of the guard is approaching. Is that the case in L.A?
After a dreadful 2-10 start Team LeBron has won 9-of-11. At 10-12, the Lakers actually can say the word “playoffs” without drawing laughter. But it’s been more Anthony Davis than James who has led the charge.
In recent 130-119 win over the Wizards in which AD scored 55 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, he heard chants of “MVP! MVP!” And the game was in Washington!
MVP could happen if AD continues to play the way he has started the season. He’s averaging 27.3 points, 2.3 blocks and a league-high 12.3 rebounds. He’s making 59-percent of his field goal attempts and 33.3-percent of his threes. His career percentage from behind the arc is 30.3-percent.
“He’s been unbelievable, man,” James said. “On both sides of the floor. I mean, playing like the MVP of this league. Just straight dominance.”
James, of course, knows all about dominance and MVPs. He’s won the award four times and is considered one of the best to ever play the game. James is averaging 25.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.2 steals, now exactly over-the-hill numbers.
But if the Lakers are to make the playoffs after a one-year absence, and make some noise, it will likely come down to two men not named James – Davis and first-year coach Darvin Ham. Davis is playing at the 5 spot more than ever before and he’s been great.
Ham doesn’t have time to adjust. He leads a franchise that judges a season on one criterion – NBA title or bust.
The championship number is 17 titles after AD and LeBron led the squad in 2020 wit James winning Finals MVP. After not making the playoffs last season the Lakers fired Frank Vogel and turned to Ham, who knows exactly what he’s gotten into.
“I think (the) sky’s the limit,” Ham said at his introductory news conference. “We’re not putting a ceiling on our situation. We’ll go as far as our daily preparation takes us … and the things we’re going to do in that daily process will lead us to the type of success that this franchise and city has been accustomed to.”
Ham has no fear of failure. When the Lakers dropped to 2-7, he spoke about being disappointed but not disillusioned. His background prepared him for this.
“I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan,” Ham said. “I was shot in the face by accident, April 5, 1988. You go through something like that, it’s going to do one of two things: It’s going to make you fearful or fearless. It made me fearless. I don’t feel no pressure. It’s basketball.”
In L.A. it’s big business with big expectations. Lakers fans aren’t ready to start thinking of a parade. But it seems as if the Lakers have adjusted to their coach, AD has adjusted to his role at the 5, and James has adjusted to playing second fiddle with a 29-year-old phenom who has yet to win MVP.
What seemed like a long shot early in the season is now a possibility. The Lakers might be good enough to contend for a title, AD could win MVP, and James might prove that 37 isn’t NBA fatal. Still, a dose of TB10 TB10 Fountain of Youth Extract couldn’t hurt.