• Fri. Feb 14th, 2025

Lakers Could Secure Veteran All-Star from Western Team for Rui Hachimura

JJ Redick praises LeBron James’ performance against Wizards
The Los Angeles Lakers continued their Grammy road trip on Thursday with a dominant 134-96 victory over the Washington Wizards. The Lakers quickly took control early, powered by a strong performance from LeBron James. After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick commended James for his leadership, which set the tone in what was the Lakers’ largest win of the season.

“He was outstanding. He played aggressively, communicated well, and his ability to trust his teammates while creating for both them and himself was fantastic,” Redick remarked. “Don’t forget, he’s 40 years old in his 22nd season, with every accolade imaginable, and he still comes out on a Thursday night in a non-nationally televised game against a struggling team and leads the way.”

LeBron James recorded 24 points, three rebounds, and 11 assists in 27 minutes of action. He shot 9-of-19 from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line, going 5-for-5. James sat out the final quarter.

James entered the game with a lingering foot injury, which has bothered him throughout the season. The Lakers were also without Anthony Davis, who left the road trip early due to an abdominal injury suffered in the loss to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the week.

LeBron James in his 22nd season
This past offseason, James signed a two-year contract extension with the Lakers, including a player option for the following year. Despite turning 40 last month, James remains a force in the NBA, now in his 22nd season.

During the summer, James was arguably Team USA’s best player during their gold medal run, and he earned the Olympics’ MVP award.

Though James missed three games earlier this season due to his foot injury, he has shown no signs of slowing down since his return.

Heading into the Wizards game, James had played in 42 games this season, averaging over 34 minutes per game. He has been putting up 23.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 9.0 assists, shooting 51.3% from the field, 38.1% from beyond the arc, and 76.7% from the free-throw line.

Following the victory, the Lakers improved to 27-18 and are now 3-1 on this road trip. They currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference, just one game behind the Denver Nuggets for the fourth spot.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *