Lakers forward LeBron James is 15 games into his age-39 season, but virtually all of his numbers have remained in the neighborhood of his career marks: 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.
It's been necessary for Los Angeles, which is still finding its footing in a crowded Western Conference playoff field. The Lakers are currently 9-7, occupiers of their conference's first play-in slot and three games behind the first-place Timberwolves.
In a discussion with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on his eponymous show, Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett ladled out praise for his former rival.
“It’s still LeBron’s team,” Garnett said on the Stephen A. Smith Show. “He looks bouncier than (forward Anthony Davis). He looks younger."
“It’s still LeBron’s team…looks bouncier than AD…he looks younger.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 24, 2023
Kevin Garnett talks high praise for LeBron James with Stephen A. Smith.
(via @2cool2blog)pic.twitter.com/OqNbJ4XWUf
Before praising James, Garnett criticized Davis for failing to keep pace with his elder teammate. Davis is averaging 21.5 points per game in 2024, a 10-year personal low even amid the second-highest-scoring season of this century.
"Anthony Davis probably thinks he's doing the best he can. He probably thinks, 'Hey, I'm giving 100% to this,'" Garnett said. "Anthony Davis probably thinks, 'Man, I just had 35 and 15 with two blocks. That was a crazy night.'... We're talking about the comparisons of an older man and being able to give this thing over to another superstar."
