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The Los Angeles Lakers are starting to get on a roll and are looking more like the team many expected them to be. There are a lot of moving pieces coming together right now, and it’s showing up at the perfect time. The Lakers are beginning to look like contenders—just as LeBron James had hoped.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
However, this season hasn’t been easy for James, as he has had to take a backseat to Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. Head coach JJ Redick commended him for being so unselfish.
“He wants to do everything possible to help this team win. He understands the importance of making sure Luka and AR can be at their best...It speaks a lot to how much he cares about this team and his teammates and how much he wants to win,” Redick said.
After the Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, James was asked about the change. The veteran showed exactly what kind of teammate he is in his response.
“If it benefits others, it benefits the team. The team is most important. … So yeah, it is a sacrifice. I know what I'm capable of still doing as an individual, but what's important for this team, I'm able to adapt to … And that's the only thing that matters,” James told the media.
James has had such a storied career that he doesn’t have to be the third option to anyone. However, he understands that Doncic and Reaves thrive in those roles, so he has adjusted by becoming more of an off-ball player and distributor.
It hasn’t been easy for the big three, but they look more comfortable now than they have all season. With James’ unselfishness and the groove the Lakers are finding, things could start getting scary for the rest of the league.
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