The Los Angeles Lakers may have had their most impressive win on Friday night, taking down the Toronto Raptors 122-112.
While defeating the Raptors at any point would be commendable for this Lakers squad, it was even more noteworthy because they did so without LeBron James.
James, who is still out with a foot injury, tweeted about his team’s success following the game, saying, “Man I love this team!!!”
🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ Man I love this team!!! #Lakeshow
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 11, 2023
James’ seal of approval is a very big deal for many Lakers fans and they were incredibly excited to see James elated with what his team has done.
The fans instantly took to Twitter to praise the team and beg for James’ return.
Pretty Boi K.O. noted how great LA’s new recruit D’Angelo Russell was by saying, “D-Lo balled out tonight.”
Sure enough, Russell showed up in a big way on Friday, scoring 28 points and 9 assists in his return game.
Another big win. The bench was 🔥 tonight. D-Lo balled out tonight. Man I love watching this team play. Huge change from the first half of the season. Laker nation 💜💛
— 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐢 𝐊.𝐎 (@prettyboiko) March 11, 2023
Other fans highlighted the fact that James never seemed so happy about his team when players like Russell Westbrook were on board.
“LEBRON NEVER SHOWED THIS TYPE OF HAPPINESS WITH RUSS,” one fan stated.
LEBRON NEVER SHOWED THIS TYPE OF HAPPINESS WITH RUSS😭😭😭 https://t.co/UJoMz4Jao8
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) March 11, 2023
There were quite a few Lakers fans who were using Friday night’s win and James’ tweet as an opportunity to again brag about how much stronger the team has looked since the NBA trade deadline in February.
At that deadline, the Lakers acquired talented players such as Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley.
The Lakers since the trade deadline pic.twitter.com/vwrY8kcJEP
— Bate (@Bateking59) March 11, 2023
Each of those players has stepped up since arriving in LA and has made new success possible for the team.
Finally, a lot of the sentiment online was about James’ still unknown return.
Ari Ingel summed up that feeling with “Get healthy for the playoffs!! We got it this year! Peaking right in time.”
Get healthy for the playoffs!! We got it this year. Peaking right in time.
— Ari Ingel (@OGAride) March 11, 2023
James is likely still out for a couple more weeks as he recovers but following a string of impressive wins, fans are eager to see him back in purple and gold as soon as possible.
NEXT: The Lakers Are Leading The League In A Big Way
