LOS ANGELES — The music blared and Crypto.com Arena patrons cheerfully sang “I Love LA” to the sound of the buzzer.
Boom, boom, the witch is dead — the Lakers' 11-game losing streak against the Denver Nuggets is over.
Then the baritone voice of longtime Lakers PA man Lawrence Tanter dampened the joy, conveying the reality of the moment.
“The series is 3-1.”
The inevitable will only be delayed for a few days, but maybe a little longer if the Nuggets continue their losing streak of missing open jump shots and falling prey to the Lakers.
But each time it ends, the NBA's grand old man, LeBron James, is left with an age-old question.
what do you do with him?
His greatness requires a certain amount of urgency, and his age adds to that. He used his wits in Saturday's Game 4, recording 30 points, five rebounds and four assists to lead the Lakers in a 119-108 victory. Anthony Davis continued to perform well against Nikola Jokic, contributing to the victory with 25 points, 23 rebounds, and 6 assists. James influenced that.
It's impossible to achieve excellence every night, and when a championship franchise has championship expectations, the problem gets complicated.
Two nights ago, James was asked about his rival for the day, the inimitable Jokic and the Nuggets, and how he ranked among the rivals he's played against over his 21-year career.
“It's too difficult to answer that question right now,” James said. “This team is well-equipped, well-prepared and well-coached. They don't have any weaknesses offensively. They have shotmakers and playmakers. You always try to keep them at bay. . One of the best teams I've played in my career.”
James doesn't have much personal competition, he does have franchise and system rivals. Players alone are unlikely to be able to counter James' unique abilities, but when paired with allies and adding sweat equity, they can exceed what James brings to the table.
No matter what iteration Tim Duncan did when he was with the Spurs. Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Boston Celtics. And now the Nuggets.
Because it's James teeth franchise. You know the drill. Co-stars are scrutinized and role players are simultaneously exalted and denounced – see D'Angelo Russell. The coach will be connected to the ringer. It's dramatic, high-maintenance, and has some unreasonable expectations, but June is almost always a trip, like the couple's annual vacation.
However, James and June had been divorced for quite some time. We were led to believe that they were only temporarily separated, and that they must somehow reunite after some time apart.
June has been on other people's teams, sometimes more times than James has in his career, but given this one, Jokic seems to be preparing for a date — with teammates in the coming months. As long as you bring the match to.
James will probably go through the dance again with the Lakers this summer, as he could decline his player option and become a free agent. And the Lakers have to look at the changing landscape of the NBA and make a cold judgment about how they can build around James, which has always been kind of a daunting task.
He turns 40 in December, and is expected to be the team's best player, unique propulsion force, and biggest driving force behind victory. Can the team realistically expect to win the title? Is he or someone who can influence victory?
That's not to say he's likely to leave, but let's consider how the Lakers would have to think about it.
If he abandoned his hometown and left Cleveland in an unprecedented way, why doesn't he leave you?
If he were to leave Miami, the place that turned him into a complete player, an established man, and a two-time champion, the place of marriage between player and franchise, why would he stay with you? Will it stay?
If he leaves Cleveland again after helping him win the most improbable title, what's to stop him from seeking a partnership elsewhere?
The league was too good, and James was probably too old to replicate Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead's “fuck you (draft) picks” cliché. “Les Sneed, a legend!” My type of guy! ” James tweeted a few years ago after the Rams won the Super Bowl.
The Rams went without a first-round draft pick for seven consecutive years until breaking the streak a few days ago. But the reward for such audacity is not guaranteed.
Being with James is the equivalent of speed dating. Speedy trial, speedy trial, speedy dismissal. Other relationships across the league have simmered down, gone through growing pains, ridden waves, and gotten even better.
Would James have listened to the organization if he had been told Jamal Murray's return after more than 18 months from a knee injury would come to fruition, or would he have believed Michael Porter Jr.'s return banner? Could you have done that?
Or would he have inspired the franchise to cut bait and acquire someone who is perhaps not as talented or young, but can contribute in a hurry?
We all probably know the answer.
The traditional method of developing candidates no longer exists, and nearly every team has a disparate blueprint that has led teams like the Nuggets, Thunder, Timberwolves, and Celtics to the lucrative positions they are in today. That means the Lakers will have to sell James under the radar. What will satisfy him in his later years is unknown.
James' basketball IQ is non-pareil, which creates a sense of urgency and a layer of pressure.
James' dual nature means he's usually right (and sometimes grossly wrong), but can he be sure that being right isn't always best?
There is a sweet spot between patience and pressure. The Warriors believed they had time after Kevin Durant's departure, but they weren't able to optimally utilize the draft capital they acquired. They are now in a position where they are desperate to get the most out of Curry's career despite a win in 2022.
Luckily it worked out because Curry didn't publicly lobby or manipulate the situation, but one wonders what would have happened if he had used a little public power. There are some people.
That will never happen, but the best thing for both sides would be for Durant and the Warriors to reunite, this time as an old couple getting back to their old ways.
There doesn't seem to be a similar life raft for James right now, but he always seems to be putting himself in advantageous situations. When he first came to Los Angeles, many thought he was gearing up for a post-basketball career, aligning himself with the movers and shakers, and those whose winning focus was on basketball. I believed that I was leaving it to you.
Then, acquiring Anthony Davis, they returned to the fast lane and won the 2020 title in the Orlando bubble.
Is there a star around the corner who can give James a new basketball life? The league is in for an interesting summer, with more franchise and player acquisitions expected in the playoffs.
What happens to Donovan Mitchell and Cleveland if the Cavs are eliminated in the first round again? Atlanta's Trae Young is a Klutch Sports client along with James, and Young and the Hawks could part ways this offseason It seems to be increasing.
If so, is he perfectly suited?
who?
What we do know is that while the clock is ticking on his career, the clock is ticking faster and louder on the team that employs him. And even though he sometimes seems like he can stop time, the team can't.
“Our only chance is to win the next game. We gave ourselves a lifeline,” James said Saturday night after the win. “It's a one-game series for us. Monday's game is the most important game of the season for us. If you lose, it's over. You win, you keep going.”
Tick, tick, tick.
