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Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has lauded LA Lakers superstar LeBron James as a great human being and the greatest player ever in NBA history.
James missed the Lakers' game against the Mavericks on Tuesday night because of a sprained left ankle in Sunday's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite his absence, Kidd had nothing but praise for "The King".
In an interview Kidd was asked if James would usurp Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time once he becomes the NBA's all-time leading scorer. The Mavs coach responded that getting the record would be enough for James to become the undisputed GOAT, per Dwain Price of Mavs.com. Kidd said:
"I think LeBron will go down as the greatest to do it. When you look at his numbers, what he’s done on and off the floor. No one’s done that. You got to put the whole package together. He’s the greatest of all time. He's competitive. He's the best to do it; he understands the movement, the stage. He's not afraid, and he's a great human being."
Kidd added that James playing great at 37 is amazing. Kidd played with James in the 2008 Summer Olympics team that won the gold medal in China. He also coached "The King" for two years as an assistant coach with the LA Lakers, winning the NBA title in 2020. The Mavericks coach added:
"What he's doing today, I can only imagine what he's doing or feeling, the points that he's putting up. The way he's playing at 30-something years old is incredible. A lot of us at that age are just hoping that nothing goes wrong. He delivers."
LeBron James (37,024) is currently second on the NBA's all-time scoring list, just behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387). Considering the way he has performed this season, it's probable that he would break the scoring record sometime in the 2022-23 NBA season.
Will LeBron James and LA Lakers miss the play-in tournament?
LeBron James missed the LA Lakers' 128-110 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
With the defeat, the Lakers (31-44) have slipped to 11th spot in the Western Conference standings and out of the play-in tournament reckoning. They are tied with the San Antonio Spurs (31-44) but do not own the tiebreaker.
The Lakers have seven games remaining in their schedule, facing the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, OKC Thunder and the Denver Nuggets twice. It's the second-toughest remaining schedule in the entire league.
With James hampered by a sore left knee and a sprained left ankle, the Lakers are in danger of missing the play-in tournament. Anthony Davis could return later this week, but that may not be enough to propel the Lakers into the play-in spots.
The San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans (32-43) have an easier schedule than the Lakers. That could be spell the death knell for the Lakers' playoff hopes.
It has been a disappointing season in Hollywood, so it's just fitting the Lakers will miss the play-in tournament.
Guess the Lakers players!
