In his 21st season, at 39 years old, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is still setting unprecedented benchmarks in the NBA. His latest feat was guiding the Lakers to a thrilling double overtime victory against Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors, amassing an astonishing stat line of 36 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists over a grueling 48 minutes.
James' 20 rebounds marked a new personal best, and his performance made him the oldest NBA player to achieve a minimum of 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a single game. The contest was a nail-biter, with the Lakers trailing by a single point in the waning moments of the second overtime. In this critical juncture, James made a pivotal move to the basket, drawing a foul from Draymond Green. He then clinched the win for Los Angeles by sinking both free throws.
Post-game, James provided insights into his thought process during that decisive play, as reported by Spectrum SportsNet: "I don’t predetermine anything I do on the floor. Got a pretty good look in the first OT on one of my patented shots going left, little floater with the right hand, rimmed in and went out. I was able to get a little angle in the second OT and I was able to drive, took the Eurostep back to the right hand and get the call on Draymond and made the free throws.”
LeBron further reflected on the significance of delivering crucial plays for his team, especially given the importance of this victory for the Lakers: “You go out there and you give everything that you got into the game just hoping that you can make plays. Then you hope that the plays that you make come in a winning fashion. So it’s just a good feeling to be able to win a game like this, to start off the road trip like this against a team that’s been playing extremely well too at home… It’s two teams that’s just trying to get back to winning ways so it was a good win for us.”
This game kicked off a season-long six-game road trip for the Lakers, making it a crucial win to build momentum. As LeBron continues to perform at a high level, it remains essential for the Lakers to keep climbing the standings.
