In the midst of the National Basketball Association’s suspension of its 2019–20 campaign, not a few quarters have argued that the development benefits the Lakers’ LeBron James. After all, they claimed, he’s a relatively old 35, with significant miles on his odometer and in need of rest. Significantly, it’s a narrative that he’s pushing back against. And it isn’t merely because, prior to the league making the decision to hold the season in abeyance, he had just come off a productive weekend that saw him lead the purple and gold to victories against the Bucks and Clippers, noted powerhouses and deemed to be their biggest stumbling blocks en route to a projected championship.
Parenthetically, it bears noting that James didn’t just quarterback the Lakers to a win, as he had been doing through their schedule to date. He did so by taking over the contests in the crunch. He actively hunted mismatches and then framed his actions according to what the defense gave him. His first instinct was still to pass, waiting for additional coverage to come to him and subsequently finding the open teammate for an easy bucket. Barring that, he sought to barrel his way as close to the hoop as possible, again for an easy bucket. In short, he shifted to playoff mode, deconstructing the game to full advantage, as he invariably did so in nine Finals stints for the Cavaliers and Heat.
For all the queries about James’ health moving forward, he has contended, with ample reason, that the break actually hurts his cause. For one thing, his immediate past exploits created momentum to boost his bid for a fifth Maurice Podoloff Trophy. He bested fellow contenders in highly anticipated matchups, with his marked shift to a higher gear enabling him to gain ground on reigning Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo. More importantly, his elevated numbers coincided with the Lakers’ rise in the standings; before the forced lull, they had claimed eight of their last 10 outings and moved to just two behind the pace-setting Bucks in the loss column.
From this perspective, the stoppage of play becomes a virtual reset that James could have done without. Should the NBA be fortunate enough to continue with the remainder of the season (or, more likely, some semblance thereof), he will need to work hard to make voters do a double take anew. Antetokounmpo remains the leader in the clubhouse, and, not coincidentally, recovered from an injury suffered before the new coronavirus threw a monkey wrench on the proceedings.
At this point, James will probably finish runner-up to Antetokounmpo. That said, he’s not deterred from his real goal: to bring the Lakers to glory once more. He insists two weeks is all they need to get back on track. Whether he’s right or not remains to be seen. Meanwhile, there’ll be no rest for him. He will remain focused on the hardware, working out and staying in shape in the confines of his home while occasionally needing to throw wary glances at the clock. He has, so far, kept time remarkably in check. For how long, though? The answer will determine his success, or lack thereof.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
