LeBron James put to rest for the first time this season: promised, it was truly exceptional

As expected, LeBron James did not take part in the meeting of his Lakers on the field of the Sacramento Kings tonight. The King was left to rest, although he was not a fan of the load management that some players sometimes use to preserve themselves. LeBron thus missed his first game of the season, and it’s still quite an event when you know the durability of the man.

Even when he’s not playing, LeBron James still creates the conversation. By staying on the sidelines tonight against Sacramento, he therefore missed his very first game of the season after taking part in the other 36. The last time he hadn’t played a game was August 6, 2020 in Mickey’s Bubble and regular season opposition against Houston. Unlike other NBA players, the King is no longer the type to want to ignore the slightest meeting, whether it is a regular season game, Playoffs, or the level of the opponent is relieved or not. In recent years, the fight against load management and its drifts has become somewhat of its hobbyhorse. Last month he had already taken offense to hearing that he needed a rest (via ESPN).

“All those stories about needing more rest… I don’t talk about it.” I do not believe it. We all need some rest, fuck. […] But I’m here to work, to be there to help my teammates. “

An idea that he applies particularly this year but also the previous ones. Only one game missed since the resumption so, four last season, and we remind you that he played all 82 regular season games in 2017-18 with Cleveland, before experiencing a groin glitch during his first campaign with the Lakers. Today 36 brooms and with a very large number of kilometers on the clock, he manages to maintain an average of points always above the bar of 25 per game, with 8 rebounds and 8 assists as a bonus. As a result, he continues to make his team win and is still in the race to become the best scorer in NBA history. For him, regularity pays off. “If I’m not in pain, I’ll play. It has always been my motto ” he had declared to ESPN in 2019, when the load management Kawhi Leonard by the Clippers had been the subject of much debate.

Nevertheless, the very rapid recovery of the NBA finally forced him to give in to rest, he who remains on an average of 36 minutes per game over the past month (with an Anthony Davis often absent). When the rerun was announced for December 22, just 71 days after the end of the NBA Finals, King James’ first reaction was « Oh Sh*t ». No need for translation, you will understand that it was not to his liking. Faced with that, Lakers like LeBron knew it would be tense to keep up the pace. At the time, coach Frank Vogel said it will be a management ” day by day “ and LeBron had been sympathetic: “We will make sure that we make the best decisions so that my body remains healthy and that I am ready to start the matches”, reported the Los Angeles Times.

Faced with the very exceptional context of this season, LeBron James had to make concessions. The Lakers, like the Heat on the other hand, only had a two-month break between the end of last season and the start of this season. As a result, a distribution of a few rests was necessary for the King as for the other players of the team.

Source texte : ESPN/Los Angeles Times

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