LeBron’s 21st season – What to expect from King James and the Lakers in 2023-24

After bouncing around to seven different teams in his eight seasons in the NBA, Christian Wood was determined to make a big impression on day one with his eighth.

As the Los Angeles Lakers gathered for a voluntary, player-organized minicamp about a week before training camp, Wood appeared in court at the San Diego State practice facility hours before the scheduled team meeting.

“I tried to be one of the first in the gym,” Wood told ESPN. “I think it was about 7 a.m., 7:20.

“The first person I see is LeBron James. Already sweating.

“He’s already ahead of me.”

James, 38 years old and entering his 21st season with his third different franchise, got here by overcoming obstacles big and small along the way. Beating the odds to escape his difficult upbringing in Akron, Ohio. Beat defenders off the dribble, foray after foray to the hoop. Beating playoff opponent after playoff opponent en route to four rings and 10 trips to the NBA Finals. And he beat even the most grandiose projections for how his career would turn out after being feverishly touted as a high school prospect in a way the sport had never seen.

Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown, who was 35 when he started coaching James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005, marvels at the Lakers star’s longevity.

Shoot, I got fired in Cleveland and I was like, ‘Man, I gotta take a year off,'” Brown, now 53, said before the preseason game between the Kings and the Wednesday Lakers. “And then sophomore year came and I said, ‘Man, I’m good.’ So I took a second year off.

“So that he leaves [21] years in a row, it’s ridiculous.”

Despite injuries taking their toll – James has missed 27, 26 and 27 games respectively over the last three years – a look back at last season shows how close he flirted with glory again.

He supplanted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leading scorer (38,387 points), a record Abdul-Jabbar had held for James’ entire life. And after suffering a right foot injury in which James said he “pretty much tore the whole tendon,” he returned to push the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals, extending his playoff streak to 282 games without Sit.

What’s next for 21st year? Here are five things to consider as James embarks on his quest for a fifth championship:

1. How will the Lakers manage James’ minutes?

Lakers coach Darvin Ham played fewer minutes with James in 2022-23 than the previous season (35.5 per game compared to 37.2), but it was still the second playing time he has recorded since joining the Lakers in 2018.

Los Angeles has made it easy for James to ease into this training camp and preseason, building in rest days as he prepares for the real thing, starting Oct. 24 on the road against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

“It’s easy with him to face these so-called ‘challenges of the unknown’ because he takes care of himself very well and constantly prepares,” Ham said before Wednesday’s game.

“Again, it’s not just about being available, but being available at the highest level. [level]. We’ll just take it day by day and see where it takes us. »

Los Angeles has deliberately built its team with not only depth, but also what it considers playing depth, so that even if James’ minutes aren’t reduced significantly, more of his Time on the court can be devoted to players such as Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Wood, who can dictate the action, rather than relying on the veteran to spend the energy needed to constantly set the table.

2. What is James looking for in the record books?

James is 1,348 points away from becoming the first NBA player to accumulate 40,000 points in the regular season. But if you count all his scores – including playoff points – there’s also an international record he’s getting close to.

Oscar Schmidt, a Brazilian basketball player whose career in several overseas leagues spanned from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, scored 49,737 career points in all his recorded games – the most ever recorded by a player, anywhere, in history. James enters the season at 48,080.

For the guy who came into the league saying his goal was to one day be known as a “global icon,” surpassing Schmidt would come full circle.

James can also move into first place in all-time minutes played in the NBA (regular season and playoffs) by recording 549 more to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

There are a few other major top 10 rankings he can climb as well:

• With 56 games played, he will move from 9th to 6th on the career list, passing Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett and Karl Malone.

• James needs a triple-double to break a tie with Jason Kidd for fourth on this list.

• With 30 regular season wins, he will move ahead of Malone and John Stockton for fourth place.

• If he makes 292 more free throws, he will pass Kobe Bryant for third place all-time.

• And 22 more interceptions will put him 8th, ahead of Clyde Drexler.

3. How does James compare to other players who have played this long in the league?

When James takes the court against the Nuggets, he will become the sixth player in the league’s 77-year history to reach his 21st season or beyond, joining Garnett, Willis, Vince Carter, Robert Parish and Dirk Nowitzki.

These five players had on average a combined 29.0 points per game in their 21st season, led by Garnett’s 7.6. James is coming off a season in which he averaged 28.9.

He’s on pace to obliterate production standards for a player at this point in his career.

There has only been one instance of a player scoring 25 or more points in a game in their 21st season or beyond, let alone averaging that amount. Nowitzki dropped 30 points in his last home game against the Phoenix Suns in 2019.

“It all depends on my health,” James told ESPN when asked if he continues to extend his prime. “And my mindset, if I’m able to keep my mind fresh. Whatever way your mind is, everything else falls into place. So keeping my mind fresh, keeping it tuned, keeping it intact for the marathon will allow my body to perform after that.”

4. What does James think of the Los Angeles roster?

James refrained from commenting on the Lakers’ offseason moves until media day, other than sharing images on his Instagram Stories of all the players signed by LA.

When he finally spoke about the list, he offered a ringing endorsement.

“I’m excited that we’re getting our core back,” James said at media day, “and then bringing in a lot of really, really, really good players that can help us keep rolling.”

And remember how James lambasted the team for its lack of “lasers” after the Lakers’ season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors last October? After the Lakers’ preseason win over the Brooklyn Nets on October 9, when Los Angeles made 20 of 55 from 3, he also credited that aspect of the team’s construction.

“We have a better shot this year,” James said after the victory. “We have a lot of guys who shot the ball extremely well from the 3-point line last year.”

A consistent 3-point arsenal would be a welcome addition to Los Angeles’ offense. The Lakers began last season with the worst 3-point shooting performance in sports history through the first four games and finished 25th in the league, shooting 34.6 percent from outside. While the team gained some capable shooters after the trade deadline, LA only connected on 33.5% of its 3s in the playoffs – with James hitting an anemic 26.4% on 6s. .6 attempts per game.

Adding Taurean Prince, who shot 38.1% from 3 for Minnesota; Wood, who shot 37.6 percent for Dallas; Vincent, who shot 37.8 percent in Miami’s playoff run to the Finals; and finding more opportunities for Russell, Hachimura and Reaves (who is coming off a summer where he shot 50% from deep at the FIBA ​​World Cup) should improve that area.

5. What will be different for James in year 21?

The Lakers opened media day with Davis – not James – as the first player to speak to reporters, allowing the veteran big man’s voice to set the tone.

It was a subtle change from James offering the opening line, usual for his teams in the past, but it’s not an insignificant change in the route.

Shortly after, James told ESPN that Davis was “the face” of the Lakers franchise, putting the torch in Davis’s hands whether he was ready to receive it or not.

Behind the scenes, James spent the summer training one-on-one with Hachimura. The 25-year-old forward made several trips to meet James on the road and learn from a mentor willing to pass on more than two decades of experience. awareness.

James said the time he spent on the sidelines with a foot injury last season ended up making him more excited about the game, adding that watching and analyzing his teammates allowed him to become a fan of their matches.

He may not be showing any outward signs of slowing down, but there has been a conceptual shift for James.

Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said the team “partnered” with James to develop a plan to “take him all the way.” In other words, to put him in position to attack June with as much left in the tank as possible.

Long praised for his unselfish approach when the ball is in his hands, James may find it acceptable that the ball is increasingly in the hands of his teammates and choose his spots to showcase the skill that will land him in the Hall of Fame. fame before. long.

“He understands how much his teammates mean and how much they support him,” Ham told ESPN. “And he also understands how to allow them to support him. … Building a well-rounded team is going to help him excel even more, hopefully in an effective way.”