“Really just said ‘all these men my sons'” – LeBron James claiming he’s parenting Lakers players leaves NBA Twitter IN SPLITS
LeBron James says he plays a parent-like role to bring the best out of his teammates.
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LeBron James smiling after a win (Image via Harry How/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a flying start in the NBA Playoffs. Playing away from home, the Lakers put up a commanding display of basketball against the Memphis Grizzlies. Rui Hachimura came off the bench to be the Lakers’ leading scorer, putting up 29 points. Austin Reaves looked in good touch as he put up 23 points. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 43 points together. The Lakers won the game in thrilling fashion as the final score was 128-112.
While fans across the NBA were elated to see James back in his playoffs mode, the young guns came through for Los Angeles. Critics and media were all in praise of Hachimura and Reaves as they played some beautiful basketball and rose to the occasion. The NBA playoffs can be quite daunting for players who step into it for the first time. However, both Hachimura and Reaves showed no intention of shying away.
After the Lakers’ impressive victory, LeBron James spoke to the press in a post-game press conference. The superstar was asked about how he gets the best out of his teammates as a veteran leader. Although his answer might’ve been genuine, James had the reporters in splits as he compared his teammates to his kids. “I think it comes from being a father… having three kids I understand that, I gotta parent my kids differently to get the best out of them,” he said.
James then went on to explain the analogy of how every player is different, like his kids. “Some of them I can yell at. Some I gotta be more comforting. Some I need to pull away to the side. Some I can yell at in front of the group and they’ll be fine with that. So I think that helps.”
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What do fans make of LeBron James’ response to bringing out the best in his teammates?
As interesting as James’ response was, fans on Twitter are absolutely amused. While many fans find it hilarious, many recall the Kyrie Irving incident. This was when a reporter asked Irving if James played any ‘parental roles’ for the players in the Cleveland Cavaliers. As hilarious as it was, fans could not get enough jokes out of the incident. Although this is a different context, fans find it very similar and have started to pull out the Irving jokes again.
In spite of the jokes, many are praising James’ leadership skills in the league as well. Under James’ leadership, many young players have shone in the league. Moreover, the promising talents of the younger Lakers are an exciting prospect for the team’s future beyond this season. With James back in great form and the young brigade firing for LA, the Lakers look strong to do well against Memphis. As the series unfolds, we will see how genuine of contenders the Los Angeles Lakers are, after all.
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Ritvik Malhotra
(1085 Articles Published)