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LeBron James had plans ahead of the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals matchup between the LA Lakers and the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Lakers topped the West Group A standings with four wins in as many games, while the Suns finished second with a 3-1 record.
The teams have played each other twice this season with LA taking both contests. Ahead of the key clash, James who is coming off a win against the Houston Rockets, was asked about his preparations for the marquee clash.
The four-time NBA champion minced no words when he said the Suns skirmish was not on his mind. Instead, he had his plans for the weekend all sorted, one of which was cracking open a bottle of wine and watching some football over the weekend.
"I'm gonna be honest: I'm not even looking forward to Tuesday right now. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and watching a bunch of football... and tonight I'm looking forward to drinking a bottle of wine."
James' idea of unwinding with wine isn't news. The forward has previously spoken about wine playing a role in his longevity. James has been actively sharing his thoughts on the ongoing NFL season. The 38-year-old recently revealed that he was a fan of his hometown team, the Cleveland Browns. And with the team taking on the LA Rams this weekend, LeBron James has his plans sorted.
The Lakers are still heavily reliant on LeBron James to lead them to a championship
The LA Lakers made some smart moves this summer. Not only did they extend Anthony Davis' contract, they also managed to retain a majority of their core. By retaining Austin Reaves, Jared Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, and D'Angelo Russell, they have the core set whose chemistry led the side to the Western Conference Finals last season.
That said, the Lakers are still reliant on James, and the four-time MVP has delivered so far. In the 20 games so far, the veteran forward is averaging 24.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.4 rebounds while playing 33.6 minutes per game. His last five games have seen him notch up 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
The Lakers' offensive woes persist, with the likes of Russell and Reaves blowing hot and cold. Davis has been the perfect foil, but the onus of scoring is still on LeBron James.
If the Lakers pull the trigger on a potential Zach LaVine or the DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso combo trade, it will be a massive boost on the offensive end and take the load off the 38-year-old. Only time will tell how the Lakers intend to lighten LeBron James' load.
