Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot to play for in their final few games of the season. They started out the season looking rough, and for a while, it seemed as though they were destined to miss the playoffs again. But after making some serious moves at the trade deadline, they’ve been playing solid basketball.
And now, with just a couple of weeks left until the playoffs, they have a fighting chance. They got LeBron James back on Sunday afternoon, too, as he returned in their game against the Chicago Bulls after a four-game absence. After the game, head coach Darvin Ham spoke about what James’ return-from-injury process was like and whether or not he knew he’d be back on Sunday.
“I mean, we really didn’t speculate,” Ham said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “We just kind of left it in his hands. He’s earned that right. As responsible as he is with his body, his health, along with collaborations with our team doctors and whatnot. Just let us know when you feel comfortable. And the day just happened to be today.”
James came off the bench in LA’s loss to the Bulls, logging 29:31. He played fairly well, but the main focus was getting him back in a rhythm. The Lakers superstar finished the game with 19 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 0-of-2 shooting from behind the three-point line.
Darvin Ham Explains LeBron James Return
While the Lakers would have undoubtedly liked to win the game, Ham explained that James’ return game against the Bulls was mostly about getting him reacclimated with the team.
“Tonight, it was really getting Bron back in and back out there,” Ham said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “It was great. And now we just got to, again, everybody gets on the same page, get back in rhythm with one another. Not saying that we were out of rhythm, but just getting back together and just playing. You know, 12:30 game, whatever. You can use excuse after excuse after excuse with Bron just now coming back, whatever. We just got to come out and play basketball as we’ve been. Playing on our toes. And we’ll fix the rest.”
Anthony Davis Sounds Off on LeBron James
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis also had something to say after James’ return against the Bulls. He said that for the rest of the season, he, James, and the rest of the Lakers just have to focus on playing the right way.
“Us coming out and playing Lakers basketball,” Davis said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “I mean, it’s not a two-man show. We got other guys who make our jobs easier. When guys are making shots, and we’re playing off fastbreak points and not taking the ball off the net the entire time, then we’re able to flourish. Both of us. So, just come out and just be LeBron James and Anthony Davis. All the other guys are going to be themselves. Don’t overthink it. Don’t put too much pressure on ourselves. Just come out and play basketball.”