LeBron James saw an opportunity and went for it.
Only this time, it was off the court.
He was tired. His left foot was bothering him. His quadriceps was sore.
And because the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the NBA Cup, he was able to take advantage of a lull in their schedule in which the team played only two games over 10 days from Dec. 9-18.
So, he missed the Lakers’ last two games against Portland and Minnesota, which bought him eight days of rest. The official reason for his absence? His foot. The unofficial one? The man turns 40 in a few weeks, on Dec. 30, and clearly needed a respite.
“It’s very rare, to be honest, if you can get a break in the schedule like that, so it was a very easy decision for myself and for the team and for my trainer to be able to take advantage of those days, just for everything,” said James, who had 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in his return in the Lakers’ 116-110 win over Memphis on Sunday.
The break was very well-timed.
James went from being named Team USA’s MVP at the Paris Olympics in August as he led his country to a gold medal, to missing 20 straight 3-pointers over a five-game stretch that he snapped earlier this month. Lakers coach JJ Redick acknowledged Wednesday that James had even asked for a sub a couple of times this season because “he’s gassed.”
That shouldn’t come as a surprise.
James, who’s only the second player in NBA history to reach his 22nd season, had pretty much no break this summer, going from a first-round playoff exit against Denver in late April, to Team USA training camp in July, to The Olympics later that month, and then back to Lakers training camp in September.
He’s famous for defying Father Time. But it became clear that his son, Exhaustion, was at least temporarily winning a battle.
“Felt my foot, felt my body after the Hawks game, after that last road trip,” James said. “Did my pregame workout on that Sunday for the Portland game and decided that it was probably best that I take that game off. And then looking forward to the schedule, we didn’t play again until Friday in Minnesota. I had an opportunity to take more days and get my mind, body and everything where I wanted it to be for [Sunday]. And it worked out.”
The break did him well. Just over 2 minutes into the game, he made a running one-handed dunk, followed by a block and a tip-in basket. He nearly finished with a triple-double, alongside Anthony Davis‘ 40-point and 16-rebound performance, helping snap the Grizzlies’ hot stretch of winning 10 of their last 11 games.
James’ recent shooting slump and increased turnovers had fans and pundits alike wondering if his age had finally caught up with him.
It didn’t matter that he had four-straight triple-doubles last month. Or that he’s averaging 23 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8 assists, more than three times the points of any player who has played a season fewer than him.
The second James slips, his critics tend to sharpen their daggers.
James has always said he’s going to play as long as his mind and body permit it. Well, it was clear they both needed a moment, something Redick very much understood.
“I played 15 [seasons] and was emotionally, mentally, physically drained, fried,” Redick said. “I put everything I had into this game. I had nothing left. For guys like him and CP, Tom Brady’s of the world, the Roger Federers of the world, it’s hard to comprehend having that level of sustained excellence for so long, because of the toll that it takes on all of you, not just your body.”
James was allowed to be away from the team most of the week for “personal reasons.” And, of course, he took advantage of it.
“A lot of rehabbing, a lot of training still to make sure that I was ready to go [Sunday],” James said. “Didn’t want to get too much out of shape.”
The break allowed for James to heal his sore quadriceps, an injury he sustained after Anthony Davis inadvertently kneed him in the leg at the end of regulation against Atlanta. As for his foot? He called that a nagging issue.
“Nah, it’s not behind me,” James said. “It’s an everyday thing. It’s been lingering for the last few years.”
James recently said he planned to play in all 82 games this season. But it became clear that wasn’t going to work. So, he took some time to work on his body. And he took some time for his mind. He watched his son, Bronny, score a career-high 30 points in a G League game. He called into his wife’s podcast, “Everybody’s Crazy,” cracking a joke and making her laugh.
In other words, he got out of his own way.
“I listen to more than just myself, because if it was up to just me, I probably would’ve played in the Portland game and not sure if I would’ve played in the Minnesota game, but it would’ve been hard to keep me away from it,” James said. “I have a team and I gotta listen to them as well. They look out for my best interest.”
Make no mistake, James is still James. He’s still capable of finishing with a triple-double on any given night. He still has the athleticism of someone two decades younger.
The man just really needed some time off.
And like so many other moments throughout his career, he was smart enough to seize this one, too.
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers
National Basketball Association
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