The Los Angeles Lakers finished their two-game homestand with a 1-1 record and now head to Minnesota to play their penultimate game of the calendar year against the Timberwolves. Going up against the #1 seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers are in for a tough battle. With hopes of the Purple & Gold winning their second straight game, every fan will wonder whether or not LeBron James will be available tonight.
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For the majority part of the season, LeBron James was added to the team’s injury report with a calf contusion that he suffered against the Phoenix Suns. Despite the injury, the 6ft 9” forward played most of the games and led the Lakers to win the In-Season Tournament.
Merely a few games ago, James suffered a knee contusion as he collided with Jaylen Brown during the 2nd quarter of the Christmas Day clash against the Boston Celtics. Despite being added to the injury report, ‘the King’ played the very next fixture as well.
The same seems to be the case for the contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves as the Lakers add LeBron James to the injury report, listing him as “questionable”.
James has an on-running theme throughout the entirety of his career of being labeled as ‘questionable’ for games, before eventually playing anyway. It is incredibly likely that the same theme is followed for this game against Minnesota, which means that it is likely James will play tonight.
LeBron James seems to go on a tear on his birthday
It is highly unlikely that LeBron James will decide to miss out on the game on his 39th birthday. Considering the sensational performance that he put up against the Atlanta Hawks on his previous birthday, Bron will likely look forward to putting up yet another historic display.
Gathering extra motivation, LeBron James seems to be shifting gears and elevating his game on his birthday. Having played nine games on 30th December, the four-time MVP has averaged 33.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7 assists.
In eight of these games, Bron has recorded at least 25+ points. The only game that he failed to do so occurred during his rookie year. A 19-year-old LeBron only recorded 22 points but compensated by grabbing 10 rebounds. Perhaps the man always has been just a bit more motivated on the day he gets a year older.
That said, despite LeBron’s excellence on his birthdays, the Anthony Edwards-led Minnesota Timberwolves will be the favorites to grab a win over the Lakers. After all, along with having the best record in the Western Conference (23-7), the franchise has also won a whopping 7 of its last 10 games. In comparison, the 8th-seeded Lakers have only won 4 in the same stretch of games.
With odds stacked against him, James will be hoping to not only play but also display his dominant best on the court.
