Lakers Coach Sends Message About LeBron James

South Bay Lakers coach Zach Guthrie opened up on James' presence in practice, and how he serves as a fantastic model on what the G League players need to do to continue achieving success in their basketball, and hopefully, their NBA careers.

"You heard about that? Come on, to have the greatest player of all time join your practice. First and foremost, what an opportunity for everyone of us to be a part of it. To just be a small part of his journey in his 23rd NBA season, getting him back to top health and getting him back playing with the Lakers. It was something unbelievable for me as I'm typing up my practice plan, to type in LeBron James is pretty crazy. For all of our guys, it was an unbelievable experience."

"I talked to them about the two days of practice, like, look at his practice habits. Look at how he's the first one in, how he approaches it, how his mind is completely locked in, dialed, and focused. His prep beforehand and after, how he takes care of his body, is incredible. There's a lot to learn and for our guys to take from that, in addition to the wonderful experience they had." (h/t Raj Chipalu)

The South Bay Lakers are mostly comprised of young players who are looking for an opportunity to break into the NBA. Getting facetime with James and practicing alongside him will definitely allow them to pick up some tricks that could serve them well in their career.

An exact return timetable for James has not been made available yet, but it does seem like he's progressing quickly enough to return to the court within the next week. Lakers fans will be hoping it's before the month ends, as the franchise is looking strong with a 10-4 record.

LeBron joining the squad alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves could help the Lakers be legitimate title contenders this season. The earliest opportunity for a return will be on Tuesday, as the Lakers host the Utah Jazz for a game at 10:30 p.m. ET.