LeBron James Lights NBA World On Fire After Dominant Performance Against Phoenix Suns: "This Ain't The Year Y'all See The Downfall"

The opening night of the Lakers' preseason campaign didn't end up going well as the team fell to a 30-point loss at the hands of the Sacramento Kings. The starting lineup looked good together in the first half, but LeBron James was having an absolutely nightmarish performance. He ended that game with 4 points, going 0-7 from the field.

While that led to some alarm bells ringing amongst the fanbase, many were confident that it was just LeBron trying to find his rhythm again. He proved to everyone that he hasn't had a sudden decline in Game 2 by absolutely dominating the Phoenix Suns in one half of action. NBA fans were shocked to see LeBron play the way he did, heralding the legend ahead of his 20th season in the league.

James shot 8-11 on the game, with his percentage getting worsened by a few careless threes at the end of his on-court stint. He tallied 23 points with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. 

Is LeBron James Going To Decline?

The question on the minds of basketball fans for years has been around when LeBron will start declining and become a peripheral character in the NBA. Up until now, James' dominance has been challenged by other stars but nobody has been able to surpass his appeal.

Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry are obviously better players heading into the 2022-23 season but James is still so good that nobody should count him out of being in the race for the best player in the league.

If LeBron is performing at a high level, Anthony Davis stays healthy, and Russell Westbrook continues playing the way he has in the preseason, the Lakers could have an unexpectedly solid season. This would be one of the most dangerous teams to face in the playoffs due to their top-end star talent, so if LeBron can continue playing at the level he has for the last few seasons, the Lakers could be preparing itself for a good year.