Given that LeBron James has played more basketball season that any other player you’d think he was done with firsts in his career.
However, he gave us all a new on in LA’s matchup against the Nuggets.
In the fourth quarter, LeBron dove on the floor, fully extending his body and going airborne to try and gain possession for his team. The play didn’t ultimatley lead to the Lakers having the possession as they lost the jump ball, but it did make it clear that this level of hustle was the standard for everyone
donning a purple and gold uniform.
The Lakers were pushed to the brink by the Nuggets but they ultimatley came out on top winning 127-125 in overtime. The victory not only gave them their first season series win over Denver since 2021, but it also meant that they’ll have the tiebreaker over them in playoff seeding.
Considering how tight the Western Conference race is, that’s a big deal and a huge advantage the Lakers now have.
After the win Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke about his oldest player making such a shocking dive during clutch time.
“I told him after the game, I said, ‘In 23 years of watching you play in the NBA and the three years I watched him play in high school, I never saw him make a full-out extension dive like that,’ Redick said. “He said, ‘You’re right. I’ve never done that.’ It’s awesome. I know he’ll feel that tomorrow, but that’s a winning play.”
Seeing LeBron sacrificing his body like that made it clear that he was going to do anything to tip things in LA’s favor and it became a memorable moment in LA’s best win of the year.
Teams take the identitiy of their leaders. For the Lakers Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron are the players who establish what the Lakers are. If LeBron, the oldest player in the league is out there diving on the floor, then no one has excuses for not bringing their best.
After the game, LeBron discussed why this was the game to be out there diving for loose balls.
“Just living in the moment and understanding the impact of the game, implications of the game and our opponent and what we’re trying to build,” James said. So, every possession matters.”
This is just another example that for LeBron it’s all about sacrificing in any way possible to earn wins and go after the main goal, which is a title.
Hopefully, there aren’t any more dives on the floor for James this season. Because while it was amazing to see him do it, the Lakers will need him healthy if they are going to maximize their potential this postseason.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
