Coming into this season, many analysts believed that a 34-year-old LeBron James was going to decline entering his 17th season and coming off a significant groin injury that forced him to miss 18 games a year ago.
However, a healthy and motivated LeBron is definitely looking like King James again averaging 26 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds a game while racking up three straight triple-doubles on the Lakers’ last three-game road trip.
James became the first Laker to accomplish such a feat since Magic Johnson did it 32 years ago.
When the team’s official Twitter account posted about James’ rare accomplishment, he replied with, “#WashedKing,” trolling all those who believe he’s washed-up.
James continued his humorous, trolling remarks about his resurgence after the Lakers’ win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.
When asked what he attributes his success to, LeBron quipped, “Wine,” drawing laughs from other reporters.
“You know what they say about great wine right? It ages well.”
It isn’t just the offensive numbers that are impressive. James has also done a fantastic job on the defensive end playing with more energy and urgency, something we didn’t always see last year.
The question will be how long James will sustain this high level of play on both ends of the floor. It is a long year and they don’t want to see James expunge too much energy during the regular season.
As the team continues to get healthy and get in sync offensively, the team will need James to keep playing at this elite level.
There will be those nights where the Lakers need him to score, and others to facilitate more. In their win over the Heat, he scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter as the team struggled to make shots.
LeBron doesn’t mind keeping his foot on the gas right now as he is anxious to prove people wrong about any decline in his game.
“It’s just my personal motivation,” James said in an interview with USA Today. “I’m extra motivated to put myself in a position where I know I belong. It’s my personal motivation every single night to be on the floor and be great.”
LeBron may be older but he’s proving he really is like wine; he’s only getting better with age.
