Memphis, Tennessee LeBron James has said that he will put his health above everything else as the Los Angeles Lakers near the end of the regular season in an attempt to secure a postseason berth.
James stated, “I got to be smart with it,” following the Lakers’ 136-124 triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. “It’s not good for our ballclub anyway if I’m not healthy, or anywhere near healthy. It’s not beneficial to me.
James, a 21-year-old veteran, had been dealing with a bad left ankle for months, which caused him to miss just one game. Against the Grizzlies, James recorded his fourth triple-double of the year with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists.
With nine games left in the regular season, Los Angeles is presently ranked ninth in the Western Conference and has extended its winning run to a season-high five games.
James countered that by resting his ankle the previous night during the Lakers’ 128-124 double-overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, he shown his willingness to forgo short-term benefits that would jeopardize his long-term availability.
“I mean, I would’ve probably tried to play yesterday [in Milwaukee] if that was the case,” James, who is 39 years old, remarked.
This season, James has missed ten games for Los Angeles, who have gone 6-4 without him. This is the first time since the Miami Heat in 2012–13 that a James team has finished above.500 without him. But the four-time MVP, who has never missed a playoff game in his 282-game career, doesn’t want his team to be in that situation when it matters most.
