(Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)
All NBA fans have been impressed by the hard work and production of LeBron James for the Los Angeles Lakers this season.
He may be nearly 39 years old but James is still playing intensely and going toe-to-toe with fierceness and fearlessness.
A new statistic from NBACentral shows just how fierce he is.
He is the most efficient player in the restricted area according to his field goal percentage in that part of the court.
James is currently sinking 81.7% of his field goals in the restricted area, which is better than Giannis Antetokounmpo (80.9%), Kyle Kuzma (76.1%), and others.
Most efficient players in the restricted area according to FG%:
LeBron James – 81.7% FG
Giannis Antetokounmpo – 80.9% FG
Kyle Kuzma – 76.1% FG
Mark Williams – 74.4% FG
Aaron Gordon – 74.2% FG
Evan Mobley – 73.7% FG
Domantas Sabonis – 72.5% FG
Alperen Sengun – 71.8% FG
Jayson…
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 21, 2023
The restricted area in the NBA is the part of the court that is located in the paint right underneath the basket.
It was created back in 1997 as a way to stop defensive players from standing underneath the basket in order to draw a foul.
A defensive player who makes contact with an offensive player in the restricted area will not draw a foul and will instead be cited for blocking.
The restricted area is obviously in the paint which means that is a common place for lots of traffic during games.
In other words, things get very physical between players in the restricted area.
One would think that the 38-year-old James would stay away from this part of the court as a way to avoid injuries, but the fact that he doesn’t shows just how tough he is even during his 21st season.
Players who are much younger than James still get out of the way when they see him coming downhill and he is very adept at earning fouls when he weaves into the paint and restricted area.
The restricted area has always been a great place for James to score and that hasn’t changed even as he has grown older.
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