It’s been five months already since the Lakers were eliminated by last season’s playoffs, as they were swept by Denver, the eventual champions. Today, both teams are about to begin a new campaign and are scheduled to confront each other once again for opening night on October 24.
Despite everything that’s been said after the Nuggets squashed the Los Angeles squad, LeBron James assured that he isn’t obsessed with winning this clash as his motivation is poised at a larger scale than just having revenge over Nikola Jokic’s team. As the press asked if there was any venom left against the reigning champs, he decided to take the high road.
“I don’t get motivated against [who] the opponents [are] pretty much anymore,” the 38-year-old said this weekend. “I don’t need it. I don’t want to say I don’t get motivated to play, because I do get motivated to go against the competition, I love competing against the best. But I don’t need an individual or a team to motivate me. I’m self-motivated. I’m enough.”
LeBron James generally took the high road today when asked about any comments made by the Nuggets this summer motivating him going into opening night in Denver. But he vowed “there will be a time” when he will respond to all of his detractors. pic.twitter.com/zfHGUQjAON
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 21, 2023
James, who is entering his 21st NBA year as the oldest player in the entire league, came close to a 40-point performance in Game 4 of those Western Conference Finals, having played all 48 minutes of that 113-111 loss. After being eliminated, LeBron admitted to consider retirement, which was a statement later used by Denver coach Michael Malone to make fun of the veteran superstar.
“Speaking of the Lakers, I just want you guys to know — this is breaking news — I’m thinking about retiring, so don’t tell anybody,” the trainer said as a guest on The Pat McAfee Show.
The press insisted in trying to get James to share some vengeful quote ahead of opening night, but he simply said that he will remain quiet and work hard on the court this season.
“There will be a time,” the Lakers forward guaranteed. “When that time is, I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s now or … there will be a time. There will be a time when everybody will get it, for sure.”
James believes this L.A. squad is much stronger now than they were back in the playoffs and echoed his coach’s confidence
Now that coach Darvin Ham finally named Taurean Prince as the fifth starter for the season’s opener on Tuesday, LeBron admitted that he feels more confident in this team than the one that competed last back in May.
“We could be a really, really good team,” he assured. “I don’t even look to June. It’s too precious — the game is too precious — and I don’t play with the basketball gods like that. I don’t take it for granted.”
In the video above, check out the scenes back in May as the Colorado franchise swept away the purple and gold team.
The ex-Timberwolves will join the 38-year-old, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell, as Jarred Vanberbilt had a sore left heel reevaluated on Friday and was limited to practice on Friday. While he recovers, the medical staff at least is certain that LeBron finally left his lingering foot injury in the past.
“It took a few months, but then when I was able to get back into my workouts, I was able to do some things I wasn’t capable of doing throughout the whole playoffs, probably even before the playoffs,” he shared about his summer rehab. “My workouts started getting better, my wind started getting better, my quick-twitch started getting better. I didn’t have to think about it as much.”
