“LeBron James doesn’t play hard all the time”: Lakers assistant coach ‘clowned’ The King and lived to regret it

LeBron James paces his NBA season in a certain way, and it took time for everyone to understand why doesn’t he give his 100% every game.

Despite all the rule changes which have made the game of basketball easier and arguably less exciting, it is still among the top sports in the world.

And one person largely responsible for carrying the best basketball league in the world on his back for the most part of the last 20 years is the 6’9, Kid from Akron – LeBron James.

There is a way in which he has been able to do that for 19 years and counting without any significant injuries despite playing some of the most dominant brands of basketball that anybody has ever seen.

Also read: LeBron James’ religion: What are Lakers star’s religious beliefs and how it has helped him in his NBA career

It includes self-preservation. And for him, it means he needs to have different gears in which he could play different games according to their importance.

But very few old timers of the game understand it because they gave it all in every game they played, and that’s why Phil Handy was confused about James.

LeBron James preserves his energy and strength in every regular season game he plays

Although the 18x All-Star doesn’t resort to load-management like Kawhi Leonard, James had his own way of managing his fatigue after the first few years of all-out attack.

He conserves his energy in the regular season, simply by not giving his all, unlike Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan, who relentlessly worked on both sides of the court each night throughout their career.

Handy, the Lakers assistant coach didn’t understand LeBron’s way back when the duo was in Cleveland. That was James’ first year back with the Cavaliers. He soon realized his foolishness, but only after complaining about the 4x MVP in front of Head Coach Ty Lue.

Not only James led the Cavaliers team from a 10th place finish from the prior season to 2nd, he led them to the NBA Finals in his very first year back in town.

He did so for four straight seasons, winning the Championship in 2016 against a 73-9 (NBA win record holder) Warriors. The 4x Finals MVP gave Phil a handy answer with an exhibit in quite an impressive fashion, to say the least.

Also read: Russell Westbrook, who listed his $30 million LA mansion for sale is now “all in on whatever it takes” for the Lakers to win

He might always be critiqued for not putting effort on the defensive side of the ball equally, throughout his career, despite having the ability to play at the DPOY level.

What we are seeing now is incredible enough, but when we see him playing the game in his 40s with the similar efficiency he’s playing today, our narrow perspective might change.

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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