On Tuesday night, LeBron James did something he hasn\u2019t done all season, and that\u2019s play both games of a Lakers back-to-back.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t a certainty he\u2019d suit up as the Lakers took on the Hawks in Los Angeles. LeBron was listed as questionable<\/a> and was a game-time decision.<\/p>\n However, he went through his routine<\/a>, which includes, but isn\u2019t limited to, a cold tub, stretching, rehabbing, and lifting. He felt he was good to go and played in the game.<\/p>\n Not only was LeBron available, but he was also magnificent. James ended the night with 31 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists.<\/a> Thanks to LeBron\u2019s efforts, the Lakers beat the Hawks<\/a> and got back in the win column.<\/p>\n After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick used his media availability as an opportunity to defend his star and condemn the constant negativity directed at James, a player who has a legitimate claim to be the greatest basketball player of all time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s actually unfortunate how much this guy puts into it and how much he cares and the way certain people talk about him,\u201d Redick said. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy. Come be around him every day and see how much this guy cares. It\u2019s off the charts.\u201d<\/p>\n Reporter: \u201cWhy do you say it\u2019s unfortunate?\u201d Negativity sells, but that doesn\u2019t mean we should buy it.<\/p>\n LeBron is now officially doing what no one else has done. He\u2019s in Year 23, and he\u2019s not just along for the ride in LA, sitting on the bench, wondering how to say goodbye to the league. No, instead, he\u2019s a go-to guy for the Lakers. When LeBron doesn\u2019t play, it hurts the team\u2019s chances of winning.<\/p>\n Despite being asked to reach an unrealistic level of production, LeBron has never once complained. Instead, he just delivers on the unimaginable and does everything he can to ensure the Lakers win as much as possible in 2026.<\/p>\n No, Redick\u2019s words won\u2019t stop the talking heads from doing what they do. But hopefully, it helps fans to pause and embrace this moment in LeBron\u2019s career.<\/p>\n He still, at 41, has a drive to play in a random January back-to-back, pushing the limits of what the human body can do so he can put on that purple and gold uniform.<\/p>\n Whether LeBron is the GOAT will continue to be debated, ad nauseam, but what I do know is that he is a one of one. There was none like him before, and there won\u2019t be another when he\u2019s gone.<\/p>\n Enjoy it while you can, because despite his elite play, the day he walks away from this game is nearing. And once LeBron\u2019s time in the NBA is over, all that will be left is nostalgia and the regret of not appreciating what we got to witness for over two decades.<\/p>\n You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88<\/a> or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Redick: \u201cBecause that\u2019s the nature of envy. You\u2019re not going to get a click, you\u2019re not going to get a response by saying something nice about somebody, by acknowledging someone\u2019s greatness, by acknowledging how much they care and how much they work and how much they\u2019ve accomplished and continue to accomplish and continue to go after something. You got to say something bad about him. You got to go on TV and knock him. You have to go read into, \u2018Oh, he did this pregame and he did this.\u2019 It\u2019s all just nuts. Be around him every day. He\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n