Getty LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball against Jabari Smith Jr. #10, Tari Eason #17, Fred VanVleet #5, Dillon Brooks #9 and Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James in his 21st season is not supposed to be doing what he’s still been doing at an elite level.
This premise is why Stephen A. Smith is batting for James to be in the MVP conversation this season.
“I agree with you Perk (Kendrick Perkins),” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “LeBron James deserves MVP consideration. Now I know [the Lakers] gotta win a little bit more can’t be around 14 and 10 like that. But this brother deserves MVP consideration.”
“So much so Perk that if LeBron James was to win league MVP, I had to make a couple of calls and explain it, you know, I got to talk about LeBron James touch differently if he went MVP this year. Oh, Lord have mercy! I don’t know what to say.”
James, who turns 39 on December 30, is still among the top 15 scorers of the league and currently no. 8 in assists and no. 11 in steals. The Lakers superstar leads his team in points (25.2), assists (7.0) and steals (1.5).
James delivered in high-stakes games, leading the Lakers to the win the first-ever In-Season Tournament title and deservingly got the MVP award.
But for him to win his fifth regular-season MVP and become the oldest to win that award, the Lakers have to be better than their current 15-11 record.
Nine of their 11 losses went against teams with winning records. Their struggles against teams with length, athleticism and star power were pronounced in those games.
LeBron James Criticizes Lakers Roster Construction
Following their 129-115 loss to top pick Victor Wembanyama and the lowly San Antonio Spurs, James offered a solid excuse.
“Our team is not built to have three starters out,” James said after the loss, “but you can give credit where credit is due. San Antonio played great tonight. They shot the ball extremely well.”
The Lakers were without Anthony Davis (left adductor, hip spasm), D’Angelo Russell (migraine) and Cam Reddish (knee soreness). James led the Lakers with 23 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds but failed to muster enough support.
His postgame comment draws intrigue as the Lakers, as constructed, do not have the same firepower depth compared to other contenders.
Will his veiled criticism of their roster construction lead to midseason trades?
Lakers Linked to 2 Klutch Sports Players
The Lakers have four Klutch Sports players in their fold: James, Davis, and role players Cam Reddish and Jarred Vanderbilt.
The powerful player agency led by James’ friend Rich Paul could add two more if the rumors are true.
Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine and Toronto Raptors’ soon-to-be-free-agent Gary Trent Jr. have been linked to the Lakers not only for their potential fit but also their Klutch Sports connections.
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, LaVine wants to become a Laker.
“Multiple sources said that LaVine and his representation obviously want Los Angeles,” Cowley wrote on December 12.
Meanwhile, Trent Jr. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie named Trent Jr. as the perfect fit for the Lakers, who desperately need outside shooting.
LaVine and Trent Jr. are both identical career 38.2% 3-point shooters.