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LeBron James has said a couple of times over the years that he’s immune to how opponents try to take him out of the game. He’s firmly convinced that his talents, hard work, and experience are more than enough to compensate for anything he faces on the basketball court.
James, too, has something up his sleeve when he overcomes obstacles in a game. Sometimes, he dishes out trash talk to unnerved opponents, which was the case against the Denver Nuggets, Aaron Gordon.
"That s** might work on every other forward in the NBA, but not me. You ain't the only ni**a** that lifts weights. You ain't the only ni**a*** that's strong."
The four-time MVP cooked Gordon the LA Lakers’ game against the Denver Nuggets last December 16. Gordon’s main assignment in that game was to check on James, who played as the Lakers’ power forward.
On several occasions, they got entangled while jostling for position in the paint. When the Lakers lost Anthony Davis to injury in the second quarter, James’ work under the boards only got more difficult. But as he has done for most of his career, he has proved to be more than up to the task.
Thomas Bryant relieved AD and made back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic his primary assignment. Meanwhile, LeBron James’ battle with Aaron Gordon continued throughout the game.
The soon-to-be 19x All-Star showed that he may have more white hair on his head, but he was still a force to be reckoned with. He finished the game with 30 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals. More importantly, he carried the Lakers to victory after another unfortunate injury to Anthony Davis.
James walked his talk as he had more points, rebounds, and assists than the much younger Gordon. He may be old, but Father Time is still trying to catch up with him. Aaron Gordon better take note of that before he tries muscling against the four-time NBA champ.
LeBron James is the Western Conference Player of the Week
Since Anthony Davis went down with a foot injury, LeBron James has been playing like an MVP. He knows that he badly needs to step up to keep the Lakers within striking distance of at least the play-in spot until AD returns.
James’ blistering form has earned him the Western Conference Player of the Week. During that span, he led the Lakers to a perfect 3-0 mark. He averaged 35.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. His counterpart in the Eastern Conference, 26-year-old Donovan Mitchell, is 12 years his junior.
Heading into tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers are on a season-long five-game winning run. Their winning streak is largely due to LeBron James putting the team on his back sans Anthony Davis.
James, though, was not available for the Lakers’ last regular-season game against the Nuggets due to left ankle soreness. He’s been in street clothes a few times this season due to the same issue. The Lakes superstar is expected to be back on Thursday when they host the Dallas Mavericks.
