The Los Angeles Lakers are starting to get on a roll, winning four straight games. The team is beginning to climb out of the slump it experienced in February. Los Angeles is starting to look like a contender again, which is exactly what LeBron James wants as he nears the end of his career.
“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.”
James has had to take a different approach this season while playing alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Head coach JJ Redick recently complimented him for being such a team-first player.
“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.
On Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets, James made a winning play. He dove on the floor for a rebound — something Redick said he doesn’t recall seeing from James before.
“I told him after the game in 23 years of watching you play in the NBA and the 3 years I watched you play in high school I never saw you make a full out extension dive like that and he said you're right I've never done that. It's awesome. I know he'll feel that tomorrow. That's a winning play,” Redick told the media.
James understands he is nearing the end of his career, so he is willing to do whatever it takes to help the Lakers win. Saturday night was just the latest example of the many winning plays he has made throughout his career.
The Lakers are heating up at the right time and are starting to look dangerous as the playoffs approach. For James, the focus now is staying as healthy as possible as the regular season winds down.