It is true that there weren’t many things to celebrate about the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
People were excited about LeBron James and the year he had and, aside from that, not much else was worthy of praise.
Indeed, when people look back at the 2021-22 season for LA, they will mostly talk about how James was an absolute unit throughout the year.
“How good was 2022 LeBron?” pic.twitter.com/dsCwgVQMrM
— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) August 26, 2022
One of his best moments was when James put up 56 points in one game towards the end of the season.
Not only did James do this against the Golden State Warriors, but he also did it as a 37-year-old.
There are only a few other NBA icons who have achieved this at that age: Michael Jordan in 2001 with 51 points, Kobe Bryant with 60 in 2016, and Jamal Crawford with 51 in 2019.
He might not get literally better with age but James is still wildly successful and powerful as he nears 40.
Taking Down Father Time
There is no doubt that age is catching up with James.
He has experienced many more injuries over the last few years, sitting out for more games because of problems all over his body.
This is only natural because basketball is a very physical game and it’s harder the closer you get to 40.
The biggest problem with this is that James is so important to his team that the Lakers really do have an extremely difficult time without him.
The fact that James accomplishes what he does and plays for so many minutes is astounding.
Yes, he doesn’t play as much but we have never seen an NBA star perform like him at this age.
Hopefully, his Lakers don’t have to rely on him as much in the seasons ahead but everyone knows that’s unlikely.
NEXT: Russell Westbrook Always Steps Up Against A Surprising Team