The wait is finally over for LeBron James, as the 40-year-old star made his historic season debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz.
James finished with 11 points, 12 assists, and three rebounds in 30 minutes to help the Lakers secure a 140-126 home win.
While many were encouraged by James’ do-it-all performance in his first regular-season contest of the year, Kwame Brown’s recent nine-word stat-padding accusation indicates the former Lakers big man wasn’t among the individuals impressed by James’ play on the hardwood.
"It still looked like he (James) was playing for stats," Brown said on his Bust Life show. "He's playing to get assists and get his 10 points.”
Judging by the fact that James missed the Lakers’ first 14 clashes and didn’t want to force the issue upon his return, it isn’t logical to suggest he was playing for stats on Tuesday.
James simply wanted to do what was necessary for the Lakers to escape with their 11th victory of the year, and with Doncic and Reaves playing out of their minds offensively, the 21-time All-Star felt inclined to locate his superstar teammates early and often (Doncic-37 points, Reaves-26 points).
When scoring opportunities presented themselves, James took advantage, allowing him to play within the flow of the game.
Simply put, James operated like a recently injured superstar who wanted to be a team player from start to finish, and there’s no question he did so successfully.
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