The Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday may have seemed like just another thrilling finish, one we have seen countless times in the NBA over the years. However, what happened in the dying seconds will be remembered for a long time, thanks to LeBron James. It truly signaled the arrival of a new James, one who is ready to do whatever it takes to win in the twilight of his career.
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James stood with only eight points and just a handful of seconds remaining, on the verge of seeing his prestigious double-digit scoring streak end at 1,297 games. The Lakers had the ball for the final shot and inbounded it to James, who quickly drove the rock, with many assuming he would try to score for the win and to keep the streak active. Instead, he kicked it out to a wide-open Rui Hachimura, who sank the walk-off three at the buzzer.
The streak was over, but the game was won. James and the Lakers celebrated not for history ending, but for the triumph of the dub. The moment has already been etched as one of the all-time great happenings in NBA history. However, it has also brought up James’ apparent decline in this, his 23rd season in the league.
Analyst Marc Spears spoke about it on the latest edition of ESPN and brought up a reference from Sylvester Stallone’s famed Rocky series.
“An old movie moment comes to mind. Remember Duke? Rocky’s manager? When he yelled out, ‘He’s a man. He’s not a machine!’ When he was talking about Drago. Drago got cut. Is LeBron finally bleeding?” asked Spears.
It’s an interesting comparison. Drago bleeding opened up the door for Rocky to come in and secure the victory. But the Lakers are currently the No. 2 team in the West, and they’ve gotten there mainly without the King.
Spears is talking more about how the league’s greatest player since Michael Jordan is finally showing signs of slowing down. “He’s been a machine for so long, whether it’s been his health, whether it’s been his play. He’s 15 days away from being 41. Still being able to just play in this game is incredible.”
“But this is the first time I’ve seen him being human. Not playing in training camp. Not playing in back-to-backs. That’s not the machine we are accustomed to seeing,” Spears added.
It’s a difficult reality to have to face. Even last year, James seemed as dominant as he’d ever been. He finished sixth in the final MVP ladder. This year, he looks like a completely different guy. A post-LeBron NBA is coming, and it’s going to feel really weird when it happens.
Spears, however, insisted that James showing signs of weakness will not hurt his legacy one bit. “Even if he becomes mortal, that’s okay. This is Satchel Page, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, and Tom Brady kind of stuff that he’s doing. But this is the first time I’m seeing a little chink in his armor.”
At 16-5, the Lakers are No. 2 in the West, only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have only lost one game all year. If LA hopes to compete against the defending champs, they’ll have to rely on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as opposed to James, who turns 41 in a couple of weeks.
Still, for James to show that he is sharp enough to “make the right play” proves that he is not done yet. The season is long. There is still time for him to have a physical bounce back after a rocky start. And if he ends up in a role where he has minimal minutes, that is fine too. Because having James for 10 minutes or 30 minutes will not change the fact that we have been able to witness 23 of the greatest seasons from a player in any sport.
