Dave McMenamin says what source close to LeBron James told him that is unusual for Lakers star

Dave McMenamin questions if LeBron James can keep his body in great shape

James has always been in great shape, which is a big reason why he’s had a 23-year NBA career and is still going at 40 years old.

However, Father Time is undefeated and James isn’t superhuman. He’s accustomed to injuries, now more than ever at his age and he is coming off a sciatica issue that he hopes does not linger.

What Kobe Bryant said about LeBron James

"I think the player that would fit with me most, that would actually be LeBron.

"He’s a passer first, I’m a scorer, I’m a finisher. ‘Bron is a facilitator by nature and I’m a finisher by nature.

"Those two styles, I think complement each other extremely well."

With James getting a ton of time off, it should help with his recovery, but Dave McMenamin still questions if James can keep his body in great shape until the end of the season.

“I spoke to a source close to LeBron today, and he told me that LeBron is usually measured about these things, but he reported LeBron felt, quote, ‘great’ coming off that season debut against the Jazz.

“The schedule has helped out, the team had off on Wednesday, and they had a practice Thursday. They’ll get two more days to get ready before they play their next game on the road Sunday in Utah.

“The big question moving forward is not just, can LeBron stay healthy and not have sciatica creep back in, and obviously, LeBron is going through exercises and mobility drills in order to try to stave that off, but can he get his wind back at the same time, keep his body in the best shape in order to make it to the finish line?

“LeBron can only miss three more games between now and the end of the regular season to be eligible for the awards, including all NBA.

“A source I spoke to today said I’d prefer he skips back-to-backs but we’ll see how that aligns with his plans.”

LeBron James is not the focal point anymore

For the first time in his career, James is not the main star on his team.

The Lakers aren’t dependent on James for their success, as illustrated in their first 14 games of the season.

James must now embrace the fact that he is a complementary piece to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, not the No. 1 option.

The pressure being off James is actually a good thing, as he can play freely and still impact games at a high level.