LeBron James said on Apr. 25 that his preparation and focus allowed him to perform at a high level during the Los Angeles Lakers’ overtime victory against the Houston Rockets, which gave the team a 3-0 lead in their playoff series.
James, who is playing his 23rd season at age 41, played 45 minutes and recorded 29 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and three steals. He discussed how he manages to conserve energy for crucial moments late in games. “I think I’ve just been preparing myself for these moments,” James said after the win. “Obviously, throughout the course of a game, we’re trying to find ways where I can get a break or whatever the case may be. But the game was so close and it was like a possession game, I felt like we could turn the game to benefit us and win the game.
“If that meant I didn’t get a break, I gotta dig deep, or deeper, in order for us to win a game and go up 3-0, then so be it. That’s what it is. We don’t play tomorrow, so I’ll have an opportunity to rest all day tomorrow, rest as much as I can. Just kind of stay in the moment, that’s basically it.”
Earlier this season there were questions about whether James would be able to deliver such performances due to missing time with sciatica issues and not being expected to serve as primary scorer or creator for his team this year.
Despite these concerns earlier in the season regarding his health and role on the team lineup due to injury setbacks and lower expectations as main scorer or creator for this campaign’s roster setup; James continues making key plays late into games helping secure wins during playoffs—an achievement described by observers as unprecedented given his age.
James also spoke about connecting with his son Bronny during one of Friday night’s highlights—a second-quarter lob leading directly into Bronny’s reverse layup: “He was calling for it,” James said on Prime Video broadcast after their victory.”I’ve seen his steps for so long; he was gathering—and I was like ‘Go get it.’ So I’m glad he was able go up reverse it…that was a special moment obviously.”