LeBron James is currently playing in his 21st NBA season. He stalled alleged retirement plans during the off-season for one last dance with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the matter of the fact is that James isn’t getting any younger. He has, in fact, reached fathers time and started to show signs of decline.
Owing to these signs, the Lakers’ head coach, Darvin Ham, devised a workload plan for LeBron James. Under this plan, James’ average playing time per time would be significantly cut down. However, the alleged plan went for a toss as soon as the 2023-24 NBA season began. Moreover, LeBron’s recent statement suggests how the whole “minute restriction” is problematic in nature.
LeBron James Says He Prefers Playing In The Fourth Quarter!
The Los Angeles Lakers snapped out of the 11-game losing streak against city rivals Los Angeles Clippers this week. The matchup went into overtime as LeBron James secured a thrilling finish. LA trailed by 19 points during the first half. Fortunately, the trio of Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood, and Anthony Davis helped Hollywood bounce back with a 15-5 run. Yet, the game went into overtime, wherein LeBron put his elite skills on display. He played 42 minutes, during which he scored 35 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. After the game, James was quoted by the media saying that he felt at his absolute best in the fourth quarter.
This has put Darvin Ham’s alleged minute restriction plan under the scanner. Ham was adamant when he devised the plan to restrict LeBron James’ per-match playing time by 30 minutes. However, since the new season began, not once has James been able to adhere to the workload plan. In each game, he had to step up to cover for the struggling youngsters. Was the plan flawed and completely unnecessary? Or is it just a result of unusual circumstances? That’s a thing Ham has to figure out going ahead into the tournament. So far, every analyst and fan has seconded the Lakers’ workload plan for James. They feel that the veteran is in the last few years of his career and should be allowed to play freely. Also, some believe that if LeBron is healthy, with no underlying concerns, he should play for as long as he can.
LeBron James Blasts Lakers Teammates Over Russell Westbrook!
The Lakers vs. Clippers matchup didn’t end without drama. Prior to the thrilling overtime finish, LA’s defenders had a tough time guarding Russell Westbrook, who was piling up lead for the Clippers. Meanwhile, LeBron James was extremely pissed with his team’s efforts and was caught cursing his teammates in leaked audio. James dropped the F-bomb and said, ” No, we’re better than that. You’ve got to guard him.”
When things didn’t improve, LeBron James took matters into his own hands. He defied Darvin Ham’s workload management plan to extend his stay by 42 minutes on the court. Eventually, James emerged as the lead scorer with 35 points and helped the Lakers snap out of the long withstanding 11-game losing streak. Needless to say, it was a lucky escape for the men in purple and gold.