LeBron James finds inspiration in his son Bronny before making his triple triple

After the start of the 2021-22 season was interrupted by injury, LeBron James is finally feeling well again.

“For me personally, I’m getting healthier every day,” James said after the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder over the weekend.

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“Obviously, my injury played a big part in keeping me out of the game. The dynamism of the way I move, the way I play makes me sometimes get in the way of not fully striding and things of that nature. I can watch plays before they happen, but I can’t actually play them. “

Against the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, James may have put in his best performance of the season, leading the Lakers to a home win while scoring his second double of the season.

Finishing with 30 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 saves, James flew up and down the pitch, seemingly without any physical limitations.

After the game, he said the catalyst for the performance was a good night’s sleep and the chance to watch his son, Bronny, the night before.

“Getting optimal rest, getting into my REM sleep but also getting the chance to fly down to Phoenix and watch my son play football,” he said.

“He inspires me. I feel really comfortable waking up today after watching him and his team last night.”

The 106-94 win came without Anthony Davis on the roster, with the Lakers now 3-0 in games Davis is out of this season.

Those three wins were all against conceded lower-level opposition, with Indiana, Oklahoma City and Orlando all near the bottom of their respective conference standings. Aside from his head-to-head record, James dominated those three games, averaging 34.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

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Currently holding a 15-13 record, the Lakers are looking to shake off what has been a truly mediocre start to the season. So far, the answers to their problems have let James dominate as he has for nearly two decades.

Despite missing 12 games this season, when he’s not on the bench, James is once again burdened. His 36.8 minutes-per-game average ranks fourth in the league, behind only Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Miles Bridges, with that trio being nine years or so younger than the Lakers superstar.

“First, I don’t play games because I think about injuries. And I also feel worse playing the off-peak minutes,” James said in pre-season.

He may not like the idea of ​​a planned rest, but for head coach Frank Vogel it was inevitable, with the effectiveness of both sides of the floor plummeting as James sat on the bench.

Davis missed the second game in a row because of knee pain and the 28-year-old continues to be included in the injury report with various ailments. The eight-time All-Star holds the key to offloading James in an unplanned role during the first quarter of the season.

Just over two weeks from his 37th birthday, James has been in a performance for the STAPLES Center crowd, examining every bit of his dominant self, scoring in the transition and using using some classical blocks. With good health, James can no doubt carry this Lakers to play at home in the first leg of the knockout round, you just have the feeling that he won’t be relied on to this extent. .

With another win in the bank, the post-game routine will include some movies with Bronny and, of course, a good night’s sleep, before the Lakers set off for a three-game road trip with stops at Dallas, Minnesota and Chicago.

“We’re always trying to figure out how we can be better, not only individually but also for the development of the whole team. It’s all about playing hard and playing for your teammates and trying to find figure out how to win the ball game.”

“I feel like we’re starting to enter the second round. We want to keep playing better and better but I like the way we’ve played in the last few games.”