Lakers News: LeBron James Notched 20-Point, 10-Rebound Double-Double In OT Win Wednesday… And Had Been Bed-Bound Since Sunday
Was this The Chosen One’s (regular season) “flu game?”
After enduring a brutal five-game losing streak to kick off the 2022-23 season with the some of the worst vibes possible (well, this side of the Brooklyn Nets, anyway), your Los Angeles Lakers have officially pieced together a winning streak! Granted, it’s just two games, but it’s a start.
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At the center of both efforts was, of course, L.A.’s best player, 18-time All-Star forward LeBron James.
James revealed in postgame remarks last night that, in between the Lakers’ 121-110 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday and their 120-117 overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, he had spent the rest of his time in one location: bed.
When asked about his physical health in the contest, James revealed that he was actually worse off than anybody knew:
“I’ve been better. Today was the first day I got out of bed since Sunday night since after the [Nuggets] game. Something [is] going around and it hit me pretty good. Hurt me to my soul to miss the Halloween party with all my guys on Monday. Didn’t know if I was gonna have enough energy today but tried to mash up something to help us win the game… [As] soon as I leave here I’m going back to bed for sure.”
Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports that the Lakers later clarified the illness was not COVID-19.
Last night against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, while sick, LBJ scored 20 points on 9-of-23 shooting from the floor, grabbed 10 rebounds, passed for eight assists, and blocked two shots for good measure.
He didn’t quite have the same lift he usually displays, seemed deferential and passive on occasion, and missed some shots around the rim he would normally convert. This writer had chalked that up to the sore left foot the four-time league MVP is playing through at the time, but it appears he was also dealing with his very own “flu game” (if you thought I was referring to the MJ flu game, you clearly don’t remember the 2011 NBA Finals).
For the year, James has played all seven Lakers games so far, averaging a Herculean 36.7 minutes per. The 6’9″ forward is averaging 25 points on .439/.226/.750 shooting splits, nine rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks a night. Pretty good for a 37-year-old on a bum foot.
Will he get out of bed tomorrow night, when the Lakers host the Jazz at Crypto.com Arena? Our fingers are crossed.
