LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have gradually improved their performance in the 2024-25 NBA season, with a 20-14 record. On Sunday, they play against the Houston Rockets, following back-to-back wins against the Atlanta Hawks and the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Lakers have had a few ups and downs this season. They started the season with an impressive three-game win streak under first-time head coach JJ Redick. However, the team went 1-4 in its next five games. Los Angeles turned things around after its sluggish five-game stint and had a six-game win streak.
In their winning streak, they’d often follow it up with a losing streak. However, they’ve been able to stay competitive and improve on their in-season struggles. For James, he’s noticed how the team has addressed their problems. He’s also complimented on how his teammates have held themselves accountable, helping the team win seven of their last 10 games.
“We just wanna continue to put the work in,” James said. “There’s no substitution for work and even though we don’t have a lot of time to be on the practice court, anytime we have film sessions, anytime we have shootarounds, anytime we have anything, our ballroom walkthroughs on the road, we have to take advantage of it.
“I love the fact that we can take our film sessions from a previous game or previous matchup and then apply it right to the game. Guys are holding themselves accountable and it helps.”
LeBron James on the key to the #Lakers improvements:https://t.co/r54eSCRdI3
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) January 5, 2025
“Defensively, yeah. We’ve gotten better. And then offensively, we had that rut where we were pretty bad, we’re trying to improve there too. So it’s a good sign.”
LeBron James makes jokes about him passing Michael Jordan for the most 30-point games
The Lakers’ Friday night win against the Hawks featured a historic moment for LeBron James. The four-time champion finished with 30 points, three rebounds and eight assists on 65% shooting from the field. After scoring his 30th point, James surpassed Michael Jordan for the most 30-point games in the NBA.
After the game, Anthony Davis joked about how it took James seven more seasons for his teammate to pass the former Chicago Bulls star.
“Bothers me, but took him seven more seasons,” Davis said. “No, somebody said that earlier.”
Despite being from Chicago, Davis acknowledged to reporters that he was more of a LeBron James fan.
“I was actually, growing up, I was more LeBron. That was my era. That’s obviously a hell of an accomplishment. I think he’s probably number one in everything at this point. But I say, I’ve been here long enough to witness so many accomplishments, man. So I’m definitely grateful to be here and just want to keep stacking.”
At 40, James is still at the top of his game, breaking records and re-writing history.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
