While Jimmy Butler finished with 20 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his 10th triple-double in the colors of Miami, LeBron James was not left out with a full game of 33 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, all at 11/14 from 2-pointers and 1/8 from 3-pointers, plus 8/11 from throws. But the feeling of a transfer of power was strong in South Beach, the former preserve of the King.
First because the Heat iNFLicted another defeat on the Lakers, who remain on 5 losses in their last 7 games. And then also because Jimmy Butler simply dethroned LeBron James in the number of triple-doubles with Miami, since the current Laker had stopped at nine during his four seasons at the Heat.
Nevertheless, with a new game above thirty points, the “super grandpa” of the Lakers still defended his honor. If the Los Angeles franchise is dragging its feet with only 7 wins in its last 17 games, it’s not for lack of trying for LeBron James, who has more than 32 points in these last 17 games, shooting more 53% on average.
“I don’t need to score 30 points every night, but I’m in one of the best offensive periods of my career right now”, he explains on ESPN. “And I don’t intend to stop there. It’s just my feeling at the moment. I feel great. I shoot very well. I didn’t have the same 3-point success in this game but I felt good on my eight attempts. I also shoot effectively on the throw line, and on field shots. And I’m very effective in the circle. I don’t go into the game thinking that I have to score 30 points for us to be in the game. I play the game. Scoring happens naturally. “
At 29 points on average, only 3 decimal places behind Kevin Durant for the title of best scorer in the League, and his fourth highest career total (the highest in the last decade), LeBron James proves that he still has of (very) beautiful remains at 37 years old.
The return of Anthony Davis to relieve LeBron James
At 2,006 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the ultimate career-high points scored, he is well aware that he is getting closer, but that he also still has a long way to go before he gets there.
“As I continue to climb the ladder, it’s natural and human to look at where I am and see if it’s even possible to reach it. If I can. Health will obviously play a very important role and then, we will have to continue to give everything in each match. I never cheated, I never pretended. I never wanted to tell myself that I was satisfied with what I accomplished. I want to keep improving and we’ll see what happens. I have never chased a record in my life. I never asked myself to ask myself if I could get this or that record. “
With Anthony Davis on the return, probably for this Tuesday against Brooklyn, LeBron James does not intend to stop scoring. But Frank Vogel is counting on his interior to relay a little “King James”.
“Anthony is going to help us in all areas and scoring is definitely one of them. It’s going to help spread the load.”, appreciates Frank Vogel. “But LeBron feels good with the load he’s carrying right now. We continue to communicate with him, on what we ask him about his minutes and the total number of minutes. He is on a good pace. We play almost every other day at the moment. It’s in place but Anthony’s return will clearly help us. “
Absent for five weeks, Anthony Davis had 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks before his knee injury. Will his return to action be the long-awaited trigger for the Lakers who are still idling, one month from the All-Star Break?
| LeBron James | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2003-04 | KEY | 79 | 40 | 41.7 | 29.0 | 75.4 | 1.3 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 20.9 |
| 2004-05 | KEY | 80 | 42 | 47.2 | 35.1 | 75.0 | 1.4 | 6.0 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 27.2 |
| 2005-06 | KEY | 79 | 43 | 48.0 | 33.5 | 73.8 | 1.0 | 6.1 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 31.4 |
| 2006-07 | KEY | 78 | 41 | 47.6 | 31.9 | 69.8 | 1.1 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 27.3 |
| 2007-08 | KEY | 75 | 40 | 48.4 | 31.5 | 71.2 | 1.8 | 6.1 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 30.0 |
| 2008-09 ★ | KEY | 81 | 38 | 48.9 | 34.4 | 78.0 | 1.3 | 6.3 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 28.4 |
| 2009-10 ★ | KEY | 76 | 39 | 50.3 | 33.3 | 76.7 | 0.9 | 6.4 | 7.3 | 8.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 29.7 |
| 2010-11 | MIA | 79 | 39 | 51.1 | 33.0 | 75.9 | 1.0 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 26.7 |
| 2011-12 ★ | MIA | 62 | 38 | 53.1 | 36.2 | 77.1 | 1.5 | 6.4 | 7.9 | 6.2 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 27.2 |
| 2012-13 ★ | MIA | 76 | 38 | 56.5 | 40.6 | 75.3 | 1.3 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 26.8 |
| 2013-14 | MIA | 77 | 38 | 56.7 | 37.9 | 75.0 | 1.1 | 5.9 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 27.1 |
| 2014-15 | KEY | 69 | 36 | 48.8 | 35.4 | 71.0 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 7.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 0.7 | 25.3 |
| 2015-16 | KEY | 76 | 36 | 52.0 | 30.9 | 73.1 | 1.5 | 6.0 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 25.3 |
| 2016-17 | KEY | 74 | 38 | 54.8 | 36.3 | 67.4 | 1.3 | 7.3 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 4.1 | 0.6 | 26.4 |
| 2017-18 | KEY | 82 | 37 | 54.2 | 36.7 | 73.1 | 1.2 | 7.5 | 8.7 | 9.1 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 27.5 |
| 2018-19 | ALL | 55 | 35 | 51.0 | 33.9 | 66.5 | 1.0 | 7.4 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 27.4 |
| 2019-20 | ALL | 67 | 35 | 49.3 | 34.8 | 69.3 | 1.0 | 6.9 | 7.8 | 10.2 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 3.9 | 0.5 | 25.3 |
| 2020-21 | ALL | 45 | 33 | 51.3 | 36.5 | 69.8 | 0.6 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 25.0 |
| 2021-22 | ALL | 34 | 37 | 51.7 | 36.2 | 75.8 | 1.1 | 6.5 | 7.6 | 6.4 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 28.9 |
| Total | 1344 | 38 | 50.4 | 34.6 | 73.4 | 1.2 | 6.3 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 27.0 | |
