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LeBron James has remained in the spotlight despite being on the bench for the opening two games as he recovers from sciatica. The Lakers superstar's composed and quiet behavior in Tuesday's loss to the Warriors didn't go unnoticed, and many questioned his will to be with the Lakers.
Naysayers cited reports on James asking for a trade at the deadline to back their assessment of his "body language." On Friday, the 40-year-old completely flipped the script.
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LeBron James was super-engaged on the bench and celebrated co-star Luka Doncic, who dropped 49 points and led LA to a 128-110 win over the Timberwolves.
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Many Lakers fans who believed James was nitpicked on, got the perfect opportunity to clap back at his critics on X. Here are some of the best reactions:
Why the bron body language experts quiet tonight ??
BREAKING🚨 Lebron James seen smiling and acknowledging teammates Sources say the Lakers aren’t ass tonight and he’s just like us when we watch mess😭😭😭😭
I’m cryin LeBron saw all the tweets about him not reacting to anything on the bench😂😂😂
So much talk about the "vibes" around LeBron after 1 mf game. Are y'all seeing him celebrate and getting all giddy on the bench right now? Some of y'all sad bruh.
LeBron bench watchers how’s it looking today?
I wonder what the Lebron bench watchers will say this game 😂
On Wednesday, Lakers coach JJ Redick also debunked any doubts regarding LeBron James' involvement with the team. Redick shared with the media that James was actively participating in film and going back and forth with him over schemes. He said the 40-year-old helped break down things for his teammates after a worrying loss to Golden State on opening night.
Lakers' ceiling with Luka Doncic could quash chances of LeBron James potentially leaving
The Lakers showcased their ceiling on Friday without James. Some saw it coming, but a lackluster preseason and an opening night loss to the Warriors left many concerned about the team's success rate without the 40-year-old.
However, the rest of the locker room outside of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves finally showed up against the Timberwolves, giving LA plenty of hope. While Doncic and Reaves had 49 and 25 points, respectively, Rui Hachimura joined the party with 23 and Deandre Ayton cruised to a 15-point night.
The others had games that carried an impact beyond the box score. Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt, in particular, bolstered the Lakers' defense, playing key roles in limiting Minnesota to 110 points.
It is what JJ Redick and his staff possibly hoped for as LeBron James takes his time recovering from sciatica. It could very well motivate the superstar to stay after reports suggested he would "evaluate" the Lakers during his time on the sidelines.
Should they struggle, he would eventually consider his options to have a realistic chance of competing for a championship this season.
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Edited by Arhaan Raje
English (US)