Lakers fans have been waiting with bated breath to see what LeBron James would look like on a team that was thriving without him. Luka Doncic has looked like an MVP, while Austin Reaves is making an undeniable case to make his first All-Star team. Luckily for the purple and gold, the chemistry seemed obvious from the jump, and a season high in points scored.
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James finally made his season debut last night, helping the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Utah Jazz 140-126 with a double-double in 30 minutes. He also officially set the record by playing in his 23rd NBA season to surpass Vince Carter on the all-time list.
Carter himself is part of the new NBA on NBC, and he spoke after the game about how impressive it is that LeBron is still doing his thing, and still able to do it at such a high level.
After Maria Taylor shared a graphic that showed that 15% of current NBA players weren’t even born when LeBron began his career, Carter said, “You can’t skip steps, I mean you can, but you won’t be playing for long. [LeBron] doesn’t skip steps.”
Some have speculated that this might be LeBron’s final year, but Carter thinks he’s got at least one more in him. “He’s gonna keep going,” he said. “I’m sure he could play 24, 25 season, which is crazy, but he understands what it takes to be out there, and his willingness to do it I think will be the question for him moving forward.”
Carmelo Anthony was taken two picks after LeBron in the 2003 draft, and though he played 19 Hall of Fame seasons himself, he was sitting right next to Carter nodding along in amazement at LeBron’s longevity.
“It’s incredible, man,” Melo said. “We could sit here and we can talk about it, laugh about it, but in all honesty, it’s a testament to LeBron and what he’s been doing over these past couple years. His dedication to the game and all aspects of the game is the reason why he’s in Year 23.”
The most important thing for the Lakers now is to save LeBron from himself. The team is obviously a contender, but to truly challenge the other top teams in the West, they’ll need him fresh and playing his best basketball in April and May.
The scoring power of Luka, LeBron and Reaves gives them a puncher’s chance against anyone. To complement, the arrival of Deandre Ayton to shore up the center position gives the Lakers a big advantage over last year’s team.
