In a disappointing and somewhat surprising end to their season, the Los Angeles Lakers were swiftly defeated in five games by the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first-round matchup. The team’s addition of Luka Doncic proved moot against a hungry Wolves team determined to slow down LA’s star duo.
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The series was a mixed bag for LeBron James, who notched more than 30 points only once during a dominant Game 3 performance. LeBron did contribute three double-doubles over the five-game series, but his efficiency throughout most of the matchup left plenty to be desired from the future Hall of Famer.
Shannon Sharpe skimmed over LeBron’s totals in LA’s elimination loss — 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists — but wasn’t moved by his performance. The four-time MVP shot just 9-21 from the field while knocking down just one of his five threes en route to his third first-round series loss as a member of the Lakers.
“I didn’t think [LeBron] played well,” Sharpe said on Nightcap. “Look, you talk about a guy that’s probably gonna be on the first or second-team All-NBA, at the age of 40 in year 22. So 24, 8 and 8 is the first season in 20 years that he didn’t average at least 25 points …” the former Denver Bronco continued to praise LeBron’s longevity.
Sharpe stressed that James will continue to be the best player to ever play at his age, no matter how long he continues his legendary professional career. “As [LeBron] goes on, he’s always gonna to be [the best] … Guess what? In year 23, he’s going to have the most 20 points, most 30 points, most 40 points … And if he played 24 seasons, he’s gonna have [the same thing].”
Sharpe compared LeBron’s continued dominance as he ages to Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, who has also seen his net worth skyrocket later in his career. “It’s like Elon Musk, he’s the world’s richest man. Every dollar he get, he adds to that. So LeBron, every year that he plays, he just adds to what somebody’s [got to do].”
Just like Musk, LeBron is reaching new heights even he likely didn’t predict for himself. Many thought he’d retire within five years of his 2016 title in Cleveland, yet it’s been nearly a decade since that championship, and James is still playing at a high level.
Considering how well LeBron takes care of his body — it’s been said that he invests over $1 million each year into his physique — the 21-time All-Star will likely continue to play as long as he wants. He’s clearly not the athlete he was during his prime, but it’s hard to say LeBron isn’t still at least a top-10 talent in the association.
These first-round losses may begin to weigh on him, though. Luka Doncic may have given LeBron hope of winning one more ring before he calls it quits, but it’s unclear how many more underwhelming playoff runs he’s willing to endure to make that happen.
