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LeBron James is dominating in his 19th NBA season at the age of 37. However, his famous critic and hater Skip Bayless believes the King has a different agenda in mind.
On his popular sports debate show Undisputed, Bayless suggested that James now has the MVP award in mind, and is no longer aiming for the 2022 NBA championship. James is averaging nearly 30 points per game, but the LA Lakers are only hovering around .500 for the season. Bayless said in this regard:
"I'm seeing a very different LeBron James this year...I'm seeing a basketball genius who decided, if not conceded, that this team is going nowhere. I believe that he believes that now it's all about chasing Kareem."
"LeBron has turned his game inside out, upside down. At this point, he's more of a Westbrook-ian type player in that he is more of a stat-machine; he's more of a solo-act, who is just saying, 'I'm going to get mine'...It's MVP attack mode, but it's not winning mode"
There is very little credibility to Bayless' statement, though. James is still averaging 6.3 assists per game, ranking 17th for players who have played at least 35 games this season. Although that is his lowest tally since 2014 and also less than his career average, James' dimes were bound to reduce while playing alongside Russell Westbrook.
Skip Bayless brought up the postgame quote from James, as reported by ESPN's Dave McMenamin, where the latter was asked if his scoring spree was a result of the Lakers' struggles.
James responded that he would continue to do whatever it takes to lead the team. Bayless apparently read between the lines to suggest that the King has given up on winning. James' quote read:
"I basically just told myself, ‘Nothing else matters besides what you do out on the floor and how you continue to lead these guys'...'Nothing else matters besides what I bring to the table every single night. How positive I can continue to lead these guys, no matter the outcome.'"
Skip Bayless caught the phrase 'no matter the outcome', and thought James is going to stuff his stat sheet even if if that is detrimental to the success of his team. Although there is little to no evidence to support that statement, Bayless thinks James is chasing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, and has given up on the Lakers' hopes of winning the championship this season.
The Lakers are 24-24 right now, and are the eighth seed in the West. They might make and get past the play-in tournament, but aren't expected to win any seven-game series.
Is LeBron James aiming for his fifth MVP award?
LeBron James is on course to break a lot of records this season. He is on pace to overtake Karl Malone in the all-time scoring leaderboard in roughly two months and also surpass Magic Johnson on the all-time assists list.
James has already entered the top ten of the NBA's steals leaderboard, and is now also on pace to enter the 10K assist club. He is the only player with 10K+ in three statistical categories.
The narrative that LeBron James is 37 years old and still dominating the NBA in his 19th season is why many analysts believe he could win the award. However, the LA Lakers need to push for the top five seeds for the King to have a shot at being one of the finalists in the MVP race.
He is averaging an absurd 29.1 points per game while shooting 52% from the field. That is his highest scoring tally since he first left Cleveland in 2010. He is also attempting a career-high in three-pointers (7.9), and making 35% of them.
LeBron James and the LA Lakers have 34 games left in the season. If they manage to go 24-10 in those games, the MVP award might not seem too far-fetched.
Anthony Davis is now back in the lineup, and his contributions might lift the Lakers out of their losing slump. A 48-win season while averaging 30 points per game in his 19th NBA campaign should be a good enough case for James' fifth Maurice Podoloff trophy.
Poll : Will LeBron James win his 5th MVP award?
Yes
No
65 votes
