The Los Angeles Lakers picked up an impressive victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 6 on Friday, advancing to the second round.
With Luka Doncic still sidelined and Austin Reaves working to get back to 100%, LeBron James was the centerpiece of L.A.’s gameplan throughout the series. After Friday’s win, head coach JJ Redick had high praise for the 41-year-old.
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“To me, he’s had the greatest career of any NBA player. You can argue all you want, and I really don’t care to postulate on who’s the greatest of all time, but he’s one of, if not the greatest of all time. For him to do it again and answer the bell again, it’s baffling in some ways.”
The comments were made after James led all scorers in Friday’s game with 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and eight assists.
James and the Lakers actually jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead in the series before the Rockets responded furiously in Game 4 and 5.
Many in the NBA world were already wondering if the Lakers would be the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead, but James made sure that wasn’t the case.
After the win, he was asked about the score between him and Father Time.
“I’m kicking his a–. He can go to somebody else at this point,” James said. “He already lost to me, it’s over with.”
The first round was a reminder that James can still have a huge impact on a playoff series, but the Lakers will need this to continue in the second round. They’re matched up against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning champions with the best record in the league.
OKC dominated all four regular-season matchups against the Lakers. With Doncic still out, James will need to play his best basketball of the year in order to give L.A. a chance.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
