As soon as James returned, the Lakers were no longer the pseudo-strong team that "has a chance to win if it was a team", and in the game against the Knicks, the 37-year-old James once again won a triple-double, becoming the star with the most triple-doubles among players over 35 years old. The Lakers won in overtime, with a 5-1 record in overtime this season, demonstrating James' ability to control the overall situation at key moments. To say that the Lakers made a drastic lineup upgrade last offseason should have become one of the biggest favorites to win the championship. However, so far this season, even the top eight in the West have not been saved, and even the Clippers who are not as good as Leonard and Paul George are really surprising. Especially in the days when James was away, the Lakers had almost no grand achievements, and the thick eyebrow brother came back some time ago and played well, which did not help. We can conclusively believe that the Lakers' biggest capital is still James. Imagine what the Lakers would look like if James were removed? I guess it's a lotto-level team. Brother Thick Brow is the perfect second boss, let him lead the team can't do it. Westbrook's integration was bad again, and the key moments had not been trusted by the coaching staff. Only James can make Lakers fans feel at ease.
Previously announced results of the 2022 All-Star vote, James once again became the king of votes. In addition to the popularity accumulated over the years, James's 37-year-old performance at the MVP level is also the main reason for winning the ticket network. James' strength is unquestionable, and when he's healthy, he's still one of the league's best players. However, since James joined the Lakers, his body is not as reinforced as before. His first season with the Lakers ended with a groin injury and missed the playoffs. In the second season, James staged the return of the king, led the Lakers to the first regular season record in the West, won the championship, and personally won the fourth career Finals Most Valuable Player trophy. In the third year, he suffered an old groin injury in the regular season, resulting in the inability to exert full strength in the playoffs, and the Lakers also went out early in the first round. James turned 37 last month, saying that no one can survive the erosion of time, even if James is still the first person in the league, how long he can maintain his state is unknown. Some people have proposed the watershed of superstars 36 years old, that is, once you pass the age of 36, even if you are strong, you have to serve the old. There are many facts that do confirm this statement, and many All-Star players in history, although they are still able to play at the age of 36, have long been unable to play as much as before. As strong as Kobe Bryant, he also suffered many injuries around the age of 36 and was away from the peak. But I don't think that holds true in James, and I think James is still the strongest in the league today. There are two reasons, one is James's training and maintenance mechanism, the other is James's own ability, and the two are complementary and inseparable parts, which determine the maintenance of James' good state.
James's physical fitness in the whole league few people can be out of the right, tough body is the capital of the league all year round. Carl Malone, for example, was physically resilient, averaging 20 points and eight rebounds per game at the age of 40 in the 2002-03 season. First of all, Malone is one of the best big forwards in history, and secondly, Malone trained hard and his body was well maintained, so he was still at ease with 20+10. It wasn't until the 41-year-old joined the Lakers to hold O'Neal Kobe on two thighs to win the NBA championship, only because of the weakening of the scene and injuries finally struck, resulting in a decline in data. The 40-year-old Marlon can still capture the flag, and the 37-year-old James is certainly no problem. And with the progress of the times, James's training will be much more scientific than Malone's. James spends countless dollars on training and physical maintenance each year, and with his naturally iron-clad body, it is almost unlikely that there will be serious injuries. When the Lakers gradually get out of the predicament, James can gradually reduce the playing time in the regular season, slowly have more no-ball play, and put his energy into the playoffs. Referring to Malone's data before the age of 40, James' data for the new season is still expected to maintain an all-around level of "25+7+7" per game for several years.
Superstars are also different from ordinary superstars, and Jordan, Kobe, and James all belong to the latter. Superstars naturally decline as they age. As strong as Jordan, he still won the scoring championship in the last three consecutive championships, but compared with the early career of cutting down forty or fifty points, after all, there is no such scoring explosion. But he is still the scoring king, and even in the period from his comeback at the age of 38 to his retirement at the age of 40, he can still cut 20 points per game, and the defensive end has a great influence. Jordan's data in his later years is not good, but relative to his peak, compared with the vast majority of people in the league, it is definitely the existence of first-class stars. Kobe Bryant has been the league's most terrifying scoring killer until the Achilles tendon tear, if there is no Achilles tendon injury, presumably the data will not fall too much, the last game of his career 60 points is enough to prove that his strength is still there is only because of injury. James is also a superstar in the first few levels of history, and his stats will decline relative to the golden period of his athletic career, but it is certainly one of the best relative to the vast majority of players in the league, because his own ability is there. So Lakers fans don't need to worry about James' decline due to his age, which is why I think James is still the best in the active game. James is here, the Lakers at least have hope, and the fans will at least not give up on the Lakers. James is not there, and the thick eyebrow brother of the second family and glass attributes, or the wester who has declined, will certainly not be able to enter the ranks of competitors. As a fan, it is better to cherish James's few peak times.