Although LeBron James can still perform at a high level, by his own standards, he is not the same player from 10 years ago. Of course, that is to be expected, courtesy of him being 40 and this being his 23rd year in the NBA. Unfortunately, the aspect of his game that has taken the worst hit has been defense.
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At one point in his career, LeBron James not receiving a Defensive Player of the Year award was considered a robbery. During his years with the Miami Heat, he was arguably the best defender in the league. The combination of his athleticism and intelligence resulted in a force no offensive player wanted to see.
However, as the years have passed, LeBron has focused more on harnessing his offensive skills. At 40 years old, it is difficult to provide 100% on both ends of the court, especially considering how great his responsibilities are on offense. One of his major habits consists of shouldering defensive responsibilities for his teammates as the low man, something he hasn’t been exactly great at.
Plenty of James’ teammates know exactly what it feels like to cover for the four-time NBA champion. However, Los Angeles Lakers newcomer Jake LaRavia will experience that for the first time this season.
In a recent appearance on the Young Man and The Three, Ryan Russillo asked LaRavia how he would react in those situations. Despite being put on the spot, LaRavia kept his answer quite simple.
“My fault,” LaRavia said. The rest of the guests erupted in laughter following the 6-foot-8 forward’s answer. Before Russilo could ask another question, Austin Reaves came to his teammates’ rescue to speak further regarding James’ defensive tendency.
“The thing is, though, he at least talks when he’s low man,” Reaves proclaimed. “I will give him credit for that.”
It’s good to know James doesn’t leave his teammates high and dry while he reserves his energy on defense. Russilo initially brought this topic up because of an encounter between Reaves and James. However, the fifth-year guard shed light on James’ true attitude on the court.
“You can go back at him. I remember my rookie year, something happened, and he was on my a** about something. I was like, ‘Yo,’ I just tapped him on the shoulder was like, ‘Hey, this is what happened.’ He was like, ‘My bad, that’s my mistake.’ So you can go back at him,” Reaves revealed.
LaRavia listened in silence, but his facial expression displayed a sigh of relief. It will take time before he grows that relationship with James, but Reaves is a living testimony that LeBron isn’t a stuck-up individual.
