On Saturday evening, the Denver Nuggets will host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 1 of their first round playoff series.
Head coach Michael Malone met with the media (on Friday) and shared a quote about James that got a lot of views on social media (
Malone on James: “What is it year 21? And the guy is getting better. He had a career-high from the three-point line this year. It’s really amazing when you sit back as a fan of the game, and not just his body of work, but what he’s doing in present day is incredible. Yeah, I hope he gets tired, I hope he wears down, but I have seen no signs of LeBron James slowing down by any means.”
Michael Malone on LeBron James: “It’s year 21, and the guy is getting better…I hope he gets tired. I hope he wears down. But I’ve seen no signs of LeBron James slowing down by any means.”
James finished the regular season with averages of 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals per contest while shooting 54.0% from the field and 41.0% from the three-point range in 71 games.
The Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelcians in the play-in tournament by a score of 110-106.
Last season, they were swept by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
May 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) shoots
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
As for the Nuggets, they finished the regular season as the second seed in the Western Conference with a 57-25 record.
They are coming off a year where they won the 2023 NBA Championship over Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.
At home, the Nuggets have been sensational, going 33-8 in 41 games hosted in Denver, Colorado.
