LeBron James has fought Father Time for years, proving that he can still be productive in the twilight of his career with another good season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023-24.
James was chosen to the All-NBA Third Team and led the Lakers back to the playoffs, where they were defeated in five games by the Denver Nuggets. While James hasn’t had much postseason success, he continues to show that he is still one of the finest players in the NBA.
For the upcoming rookies, playing against James must be an exciting prospect given that they grew up watching him at his best. Some players, such as Cody Williams of the Utah Jazz, were not even born when James made his debut in 2003.
Williams was a highly regarded prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft and should see action early in his career, but he is one of the rookies that isn’t afraid to face James, according to Ryan Morik of Fox Sports:
“I am in the NBA for a reason. “He still has to protect me,” Williams stated in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
Williams stated that while he respects James as a talent, he will still try to go after him like any other player:
“But I also play in the National Basketball Association. “I was draughted at 10 for a reason,” he explained. “I’m not going to be starstruck at all; going to obviously respect him but going to go at him and let him know I’m supposed to be there, too.”
Williams has every right to be confident in his ability to compete with the best of the greatest given his draft money and talent, and he will undoubtedly have his moments when he sees James on the court. Williams’ competitive mentality will appeal to James, who enjoys competing against his peers.
While Williams and Utah are a long way from competing for an NBA title, James appears to have at least one more run in him. Given how James has performed at the Olympics, Austin Reaves believes the Lakers have a chance, and it will be intriguing to see if he can carry that energy into next season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s perfect player includes LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chose two Lakers as his ideal player. He first chose Kobe Bryant for his scoring abilities, followed by LeBron James for his athleticism.
