Last Update: December 29, 2022, 17:21 IST
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James remains “locked” into basketball as his 38th birthday approaches, but the four-time NBA champion made it clear on Wednesday that he wants to be a title contender.
James, who turned 38 on Friday, reflected on his career after another disappointing Lakers loss, this one to the Miami Heat.
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Due to injuries to superstar Anthony Davis, the Lakers have dropped five of their last six games and are 14-21 this season.
It’s not the kind of position that James – still averaging around 30 points per game – wants to be in.
James said, “I’m a winner, and I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for the championship.” The 18-year-old kid is based out of Akron, Ohio.
“And I know there are steps to be taken to get there, but once you get there and know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just isn’t in my DNA to play basketball. It’s now It’s not in my DNA.”
Even though the Lakers are struggling to get themselves in a playoff position, James is still averaging nearly 30 points per game and is on track to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leading scorer. , probably in early February.
“If you look at the history of the game, it doesn’t seem like many people have played at this level with that many years and that many miles and so much on their resume,” he said.
“I am very humbled at the same time to be able to play the game that I still love at this level and still be the focal point of the opposing teams.”
But the championship is the goal, and James indicated that the Lakers’ troubles might have made the glimpse of life after the NBA all the more appealing.
“I think about everything,” he said.
James has said he intends to continue playing until his eldest son, Brony, makes it to the NBA, which would be 2024 at the earliest under current rules.
However, that plan clearly doesn’t include toiling in a mid-table team.
“I wonder how long I’ll be playing the game,” he said.
“I still want to be able to compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ball club with the right pieces,” James said — a comment that certainly means something to the Lakers. To step in should be interpreted as a nudge. February 9th trade deadline.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)