Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns.
On the verge of history, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been the center of attention for a lot of this season. Plenty of NBA players have praised him for his insane career, as he is about to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record. Phoenix Suns point guard, and James’ long-time friend, Chris Paul, is the latest to share some words about the superstar.
“It’s crazy,” Paul said via Duane Rankin of AZ Central. “There’s been a lot of basketball played. Since we was in eighth grade, Nationals, and all that. You dream and hope to want to do this. I remember us being on vacation with Melo [Carmelo Anthony] and D-Wade [Dwyane Wade], we sort of talked about this years ago, and for him to finally be here just shows the longevity, the commitment to every day, to being prepared, being ready. It’s going to be dope. I was hoping we weren’t gonna have a game on the day he broke the record so I could try to be there, but the dates don’t align right now. But yeah, it’s going to be dope. He’s going to shatter that record. Kind of like Steph [Stephen Curry] doing the three-point thing, he’s going to shatter it.”
Paul and James have been friends for years, though they’ve never been able to play for the same team. However, these comments come shortly after Paul was connected to the Lakers as a potential Russell Westbrook replacement.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report penned the suggestion in a proposed trade written on January 30.
“The Lakers are fighting to climb into the top 10 in the Western Conference. While coach Darvin Ham has found a viable role for Westbrook off the bench, the franchise does have concerns about his playoff viability, per multiple sources,” Pincus wrote. “If L.A. moves Westbrook, the team needs to replace his shot creation. Though later in his career, Paul would be an upgrade. He has a strong relationship with James and gives the Lakers financial flexibility with two additional seasons (the last one at $30 million is non-guaranteed). Health is always a concern when a player nears 40, but it might be a risk the team needs to take to have a better chance of postseason success.”
Kevin Durant Praises LeBron James
Paul is far from the first fellow NBA player to show love to James. The Lakers star also received some praise from Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, who said that he’s currently setting the precedent.
“He’s setting the bar for what an athlete wants to be,” Durant said on the NBA’s Hooper Vision stream. “Not everybody can do this. This is like the greatest that you can get. … Especially in our era of basketball, to have someone who accomplished something like that is inspiring to see. It’s gonna set the precedent for basketball players for a long time.”
Jeanie Buss Discusses LeBron James’ Frustrations
But while James may be about to make history, he’s also not very happy with the state of the Lakers. During an appearance on the Know Mercy podcast with Stephen A. Smith, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss discussed James’ frustrations.
“I mean, unless he’s winning, he’s not going to be happy,” Buss explained. “That’s him. That’s what drives him. And I could see why he would be frustrated. We’re all frustrated with, you know, we’re down four starters, and he’s our only remaining starter, and he’s gotta show up and play. And, the burden’s on him.”