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LeBron James took a page out of the late Kobe Bryant's book on Wednesday. He showed up at the LA Lakers arena four hours before tip-off vs. the Sacramento Kings. James was at the arena at 3:00 PM PT. James was getting shots up as the Lakers hoped to record their longest winning streak (four games).
The tremendous work ethic reminded many of Bryant's antics like this. The Lakers legend would frequently show up to the arena before anyone and leave the shootaround last. Here's the snippet of James' workout before the Kings game:
James and the Lakers are playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Fortunately, it was a blowout win for the Purple and Gold, giving James, returning after a one-game-absence due to injury, the entire fourth quarter off.
James and the Lakers are playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Fortunately, it was a blowout win for the Purple and Gold, giving James, returning after a one-game-absence due to injury, the entire fourth quarter off. He was a game-time decision against the Kings after being listed as probable.
LeBron James' minute restriction plan lasted one game
The LA Lakers had decided to restrict LeBron James from playing over 30 minutes a game early this season. He followed that rotation plan on opening night. However, that structure went to bed in game two of the season. The Lakers were staring at a second consecutive loss, which forced coach Darvin Ham to let LeBron play more freely.
James played 35 minutes in that 100-95 win. He has played over 30 minutes in seven of the 10 games. The fewest minutes (23) James logged in was against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. For the first time this season, he played under 30 minutes in a winning cause. The other times, the Lakers had waived the white flag.
LeBron James has averaged 33.7 minutes thus far, so from a season perspective, that might be the perfect situation for him at this stage. The Lakers are also finding their grove with their new additions settling in after the first few games in the iconic Purple and Gold jersey, so LA might be able to keep the four-time MVP's minutes in check for long.
