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LeBron James (40) is energized to play alongside new Lakers teammate Luka Doncic (25) while in Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26) hopes an NBA title will secure his place among league legends as the regular-season homestretch begins.
The NBA returns from the All-Star break on Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers, led by James and Doncic, entertain Charlotte in a game postponed from January by wildfires. The Lakers, fifth in the Western Conference at 32-20, made a deal with Dallas on February 2nd, trading away forward Anthony Davis and others to obtain Slovenian guard Doncic, uniting the playmaker with 40-year-old legend James in hopes of making the Lakers a title contender. "Just the excitement of being able to add a caliber player like that, a generational talent like that to our franchise, it's something that has given me energy," James said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do. We only had two games so far and I believe he has been on a minutes restriction since he came back from the calf (injury). As he continues to get in form, I think we could be really good going down the stretch. But we'll see what happens."
James missed the NBA All-Star Game while resting a foot and ankle injury ahead of facing Charlotte on Wednesday and visiting Portland on Thursday. "With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, Wild West, I feel like it's important for me to take care of myself and understand what's coming on," James said. "I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury that I've been dealing with for years. Hopefully I can play against Charlotte on Wednesday and Portland on Thursday. It's a big stretch for us."
