20 November 2023 , 17:53
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Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves has explained what he thinks sets LeBron James apart from other players in the NBA.
James has entered his 21st season in the NBA and is the oldest player in the league. The 38-year-old scored 37 points with six rebounds and eight assists and the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
The victory for the Lakers saw Darvin Ham's team move to 8-6 for the season and up to sixth in the Western Conference. Next up for James and Co. will be the In-Season Tournament game against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
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Reaves scored 17 points from the bench in the win over the Rockets, with six rebounds and six assists. The 25-year-old, who signed a new contract with the Lakers during the off-season, has explained why he continues to be impressed by James.
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"The one special thing about Bron is - I was telling somebody this the other day - I've never really seen him in a bad mood," Reaves told reporters on Sunday, after the win over Houston.
"He's always got energy. He's the oldest player in the NBA but still acts like he's 20 every day. Just joking around, having fun. I think he plays the game the same way, regardless of who he's playing. Any time Bron has something that pushing him a little bit further, you see the results like you did tonight."
Before the start of the 2023/24 NBA season, there was speculation over whether or not James would continue his career in professional basketball. The 19-time All-Star hinted that he could retire from the sport after last season's playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets.
However, James would announce in a speech at the ESPY Awards that he would be returning for his 21st season in the NBA. James has two years remaining on his contract with the Lakers after he signed the extension in July 2022 that will see him earn £77.8million ($97m) although the 2024/25 season is a player option.
James is averaging 26.4 points per game so far this season which sees him rank 11th across the entire NBA. The 38-year-old spoke to reporters after the win over the Rockets and admitted that he is in his best form for the Lakers.
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Austin Reaves has praised Los Angeles Lakers teammate LeBron James after the win over the Houston Rockets (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)"I have been able to be on the court a lot more during off days this year because of past injuries the last couple years with my foot or whatever the case may be," James told ESPN on Sunday.
"So to be able to hone in on everything that I need to do instead of having to get off my foot, unless we're playing games has allowed me to stay in rhythm. I got my bounce back, my spring back, my quick twitch back and things of that nature."
"Just trying to push the limit," James added. "See how far I can take this thing. I don't know. I mean, it's me vs. Father Time."