(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers fell short of their goal last season, but they still fared much better than most analysts predicted at the beginning of the year.
James looked completely exhausted in the playoffs, and not even a throwback performance in the first half of Game 4 of the Western Conference was enough to keep his team afloat, as he fell flat in the second half.
Even so, James claims that he’s not tired at all, stating that he can be the same player of old as soon as the season starts.
That’s why ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith didn’t hesitate to call him out and call him a liar (via ClutchPoints).
“He’s lying. He has gotten tired… It was a travesty that this man, in his 20th season, was in better shape than most of the league last year, including his teammate Anthony Davis.”
Stephen A. Smith on LeBron James’ ‘I don’t get tired’ commentpic.twitter.com/2YA8Optuz9 https://t.co/cvUcPtbLsF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 30, 2023
Stephen A. affirmed that James is, in fact, exhausted.
However, he praised James’ unmatched work ethic and determination to be in the best shape possible ever, calling it a travesty that he was actually in better shape than most players in the league, including his teammate Anthony Davis.
Smith ripped Davis for allowing James to carry most of the load, and challenged him to get in the gym with LeBron.
He believes that it’s about time Davis takes a leap forward and allows James to take a step back, so he can stay fresh for the postseason.
The Lakers traded for Davis hoping he’d become 1A to LeBron’s 1B, but that hasn’t been the case yet.
Banking your team’s success on a player entering his 20th season isn’t the wisest decision, even if that player happens to be LeBron James.
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