LeBron James Is Reminding Everyone He’s the King

He collected rebounds and pushed the ball upcourt. He found Avery Bradley for open 3-pointers. He threw lobs to Anthony Davis, who had a monster game of his own. But when James unearthed seams to the basket, he was more than willing to do the hard work himself. In the game’s final minute, James went right at the Clippers’ Marcus Morris Sr., bursting past him for a layup while drawing a foul that sealed the win.

“He was just too much for them,” Vogel said.

James soon checked out of the game as the arena filled with “M-V-P” chants. Keep in mind: It was technically a home game for the Clippers, but Staples Center was packed with Lakers fans. The Lakers still run Los Angeles, and James seemed determined to remind everyone, over the course of an eventful weekend, that he still runs the league, too.

Once James reached the bench, his teammate Kyle Kuzma pretended to put a crown atop his head.

“It’s my responsibility to put this team in a position to be successful,” James said. “They look at me as a leader. And it’s my job, not only on the floor to get guys opportunities, get them great looks, but to inspire them, as well. To show them that I’m not slowing down, even at this stage of my career.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/sports/basketball/lebron-james-lakers.html