Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham claimed that he would hold LeBron James to 28-30 minutes throughout the course of the season.
Notably, that promise only lasted for a couple of days, as James topped the 35-minute mark in just the second game of the season.
Perhaps James continued to push for more playing time, or perhaps Ham realized that he needed his best player on the court to take down the Phoenix Suns.
Also, it’s not like James looked old or washed by any means.
If anything, he looked like the same athletic freak who took the league by storm right out of college, as can be seen in a picture of him jumping high to deflect a pass (via Ben Golliver and Hoop Central).
As tiring as this might sound, we’re talking about a soon-to-be 39-year-old entering his 21st season playing at the highest level, which is why plenty of fans were still in awe of this image.
Nahh this is insane😭😭 tell me an athlete this athletic at age 38
— Raps gen⛈️ (@RaptorsGen) October 27, 2023
Jordan never reached these heights
— ADHD (@ADHDGoat) October 27, 2023
Jordan never reached these heights
— ADHD (@ADHDGoat) October 27, 2023
This doesn’t even look real that’s insane
— Basketballismyreligion (@basketballimr) October 27, 2023
He was made in a lab, only answer
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) October 27, 2023
James didn’t look happy on the bench in the season opener, and he didn’t sound satisfied with that minute limit either.
Darvin Ham doesn’t want to join the big list of coaches who have crossed LeBron and have ended up on their couch, so he did the right thing.
Also, starting the season 0-2 and losing to a Suns team without Devin Booker and Bradley Beal was far from a good look, so the Lakers desperately needed this one.
Whether James will go back to his usual minutes limit in the following game remains to be seen, but he doesn’t look like someone who needs a breather.
NEXT:
Analyst Sends Strong Message To Anthony Davis After Poor Showing