Los Angeles Lakers returned to winning ways on Thursday as they convincingly defeated the Portland Trailblazers after suffering a setback against Charlotte Hornets a day before the game. Lakers' talisman LeBron James had one of his invincible days on the court, where he scored 40 points and took the team past the finish line. In the end, the Lakers emerged victorious by the score line of 110-102.
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JJ Reddick Showers Immense Praise on LeBron James
Following the culmination of the game, Lakers coach JJ Reddick heaped massive praise on his power forward. According to Reddick, LeBron James' dedication toward the game is distinguished. Highlighting his brilliance, the Lakers coach noted how King James is still going strong even at the age of 40. He is still pulling up the Sox for back-to-back games and making a difference on the court for his team while having every accolade under the sleeve and being the wealthiest of them all. James' mentality is unparalleled and beyond normal, as per Reddick.
“He really just defies anything that's normal, and not just the physical feats and the plays—it’s the mentality,” Redick said. “He is—I believe I saw the other day he's a billionaire—and he's playing on the second night of a back-to-back at 40 after 22 years with every record and every accolade.”
Redick continued, “And the kids will say that I'm glazing him. He's one of the greatest competitors. [Assistant coach] Nate [McMillan] and I were talking before the game—he's amazing to coach. He brings it every single day; he sets the standard for how you're supposed to approach this craft. That’s to me the most incredible thing—the mindset to do it, get up the next day, do it, over and over again.”
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LeBron James Conquers Yet Another Record
The game against the Celtics proved to be even more memorable for LeBron James. It was his 1542nd game in the league, a figure which has leapfrogged the number of appearances of NBA legend Vince Carter. James now has recorded the third-highest number of appearances in the NBA. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1560) and Robert Parish (1611) stand ahead of him now.