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23 hours ago
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LeBron James certainly didn’t look like he had been away from the court for nearly seven months when he began his unprecedented 23rd NBA season on Tuesday night – even if his burning lungs told him otherwise.
After reaching another landmark in what is now officially the longest career in league history, James was not at all surprised to return from his lengthy injury absence by fitting in seamlessly with the surging Los Angeles Lakers in yet another victory.
James had 11 points, 12 assists and three rebounds while starting and playing 29 minutes in the Lakers’ 140-126 win over the Utah Jazz, kicking off his new season with an impressive playmaking performance.
“The pace tested me, but I was happy with the way I was able to go with the guys,” James said. “As the game went on, my wind got a lot better. Caught my second wind, caught my third wind. Rhythm is still coming back, obviously. First game in almost seven months, so everything that happened tonight was to be expected.”
That’s because not much can surprise James at this point in his basketball odyssey – not even the work necessary to overcome injuries.
The 40-year-old had been sidelined since the start of training camp by sciatica, keeping him out of the preseason and the Lakers’ first 14 games of the regular season. James, who had never missed a season opener since he started playing organized basketball three decades ago, took part in his first Lakers practice of the new season on Monday.
James realized that some wondered whether his return would disrupt the Lakers, who got off to a 10-4 start without him. The four-time NBA champion could only laugh.
“I can fit in with anybody,” James said. “I don’t even understand why that was even a question. What’s wrong with these people out here? I can fit in right away with anybody. Just watching the guys the first 14 games, I was putting myself [mentally] in position while I was watching the games of how I could help the team and how I could be successful to help those guys. I’m still able to gain a lot of eyes when I’m driving the ball or have the ball.”
About 30 minutes before tipoff, the team confirmed James would start for the 1,561st time in his 1,563rd regular-season games. He got a loud ovation when he was announced first in the Lakers’ starting lineup.
James didn’t score in his first 11 minutes on court, but soon found his rhythm. After hitting a pair of three-pointers in the second quarter, he recorded eight assists in the second half – including six in just over three minutes early in the fourth quarter.
“He played with the right spirit,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of James. “Very unselfish all night. Was a willing passer. Didn’t force it. Took his drives and his shots when they were there. The defense is going to pay attention to him, and I just thought he made a lot of great decisions tonight. Really great to have him back.”
James said on Monday that his body isn’t in ideal game shape, but he was eager to get started on his latest milestone achievement. Redick was also impressed by James’ fitness, saying he could have played more minutes if the Lakers hadn’t already run away from Utah.
“LeBron is, for a lot of us that played with him, or some of these guys that grew up watching him, he’s a superhero,” said Redick, who played 15 NBA seasons. “What he’s been able to do in this game, there’s a handful of guys that have been able to do it.”
James is the first player ever to participate in 23 NBA seasons. Vince Carter played in 22 seasons in a career that concluded in 2020, while five players have made it through 21 seasons: Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and 40-year-old Chris Paul, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Clippers. Philadelphia guard Kyle Lowry is in his 20th season.
With this debut, James is now just 48 games behind Parish’s NBA record for regular-season games played (1,611). James already holds another NBA record with 1,855 regular-season and playoff games combined – 58 more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – along with the record for most total minutes played.
James has repeatedly said he isn’t assuming this season will be his last, but he also hasn’t decided whether he’ll play another year. His most recent offseason was injury-plagued, with two months of recovery after spraining his knee ligament during the Lakers’ first-round playoff loss to Minnesota followed by that painful bout of sciatica – pain in the nerves running from the buttocks and down the back of the legs.
James is a four-time NBA Finals MVP who also has four league MVP awards and 21 All-Star selections. His career began with the Cleveland Cavaliers in October 2003, a year before the birth of his oldest son and current Lakers teammate, Bronny.
Los Angeles’ next game isn’t until Sunday – also against the Jazz in Salt Lake City. The Lakers will have at least two practices before then, allowing James to continue to establish his chemistry and his role.
“I don’t have to worry about chemistry,” James said. “This is a great group. Everyone enjoys being around each another, sacrificing for one another, playing for one another. [I have to] get my wind, get my rhythm back. Missed a couple of chippies tonight that I’m used to making. But that will come around.”
