Getty Images LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James is one of the best athletes the world has ever seen thanks to a combination of his natural athleticism and skills with a legendary work ethic.
On top of that, the 35-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star knows how to take care of himself, spending millions every year to maintain his MVP-form.
But after an unprecedented offseason, James is easing back into things, something he has earned with 17 years and more than 1,500 games under his belt. James saw his first action on Wednesday night, playing 15 minutes, scoring 11 points on 4 of 10 shooting with a pair of assists and rebounds.
But his old media rival Skip Bayless took James’ slow return to action as a sign that The King is “shockingly” out of shape.
“LeBron looked shockingly out of condition to me and I did not see that coming. He’s been celebrating, it’s one thing to play Horse in the backyard with Bronny, it’s another to play an NBA basketball game, even preseason against the Suns.”
“In LeBron’s first action of this preseason, he looked shockingly out of condition to me and I did not see that coming. But it has been an all-time short offseason and he was celebrating for a while. He had his cigars and his nightly wine, occasionally a little tequila. I guess it’s one thing to play horse in the backyard with Bronny, and it’s quite another to actually play an NBA basketball game against the Suns and try to guard Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and occasionally Devin Booker.”
Bayless: LeBron James Did Not Have NBA Legs
There’s no conditioning like playing in an actual game, which Bayless’ co-host Shannon Sharpe points out. But there’s no chance James — less than a week from the season — is not ready to roll. He averaged nearly 40 minutes per game in the NBA Finals against the Heat and more than 34 minutes during the regular season as the Lakers locked up the top seed in the Western Conference.
James has posted videos working out this offseason, but Bayless said he’s concerned that the four-time MVP has just been in the weight room.
“I was surprised LeBron waved to the bench and said he needed a rest,” Bayless said. “He did not have his NBA legs. He’s posting videos saying he’s back in the lab. He’s hitting the weights, but I don’t think he’s doing the cardio.”
LeBron James Has Been Open About Easing Into Season
Getty ImagesLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
James has done some load management in years past and is open that could happen again this year. His goal is to be healthy and lead the Lakers to a second-straight title.
“Obviously, every game matters, but we’re competing for something that’s high,” James told reporters at the start of camp. “We don’t ever want to shortchange our stuff. For me personally, that’s a fine line with me, but understanding that it’s a shortened season. I think it’s 71 days that the offseason is going to be, the shortest season for any professional sport ever. We’re very conscientious about what we’re going to do going forward as far as me personally.”
He’s on the same page with his head coach Frank Vogel, who is not setting any expectations for James.
“We’re both sort of the mindset, let’s just see how it plays out, and evaluate each day, each week, how he’s feeling,” Vogel told reporters. “Not lock into any set plan but have a sort of normal build-up of getting his legs back under him and get him used to playing live basketball again.”
The Lakers open the season on Dec. 22 against the Clippers.
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Lakers Star LeBron James Called Out for Lack of Conditioning