Playoff basketball demands a higher level of intensity. The stakes are raised, which means every possession matters more, every game can swing a series and the focus on physicality has to be elevated.
If there’s a player on the Lakers who knows this and is capable of it better than most, it’s LeBron James.
At 41 years old, LeBron might not be the fastest player on the floor, but he is certainly one of the strongest. In this series against the Rockets, he has dominated Houston physically.
Offensively,
he’s been targeting Alperen Şengün relentlessly. He’s constantly putting Şengün into actions, then either driving into the paint, putting pressure on the rim resulting in easy buckets for James, or open looks for his teammates.
Other Rockets have tried to test James, only to fail miserably. When Jae’Sean Tate tried his best Dillon Brooks impersonation, attempting to agitate LeBron, he pushed him away, got the ball at the top of the key and drilled a three over Şengün.
Thanks to LeBron embracing this physicality and being the one who bullies instead of the one getting picked on, the Lakers are now up 2-0 in this series.
After LA’s Game 2 win, head coach JJ Redick praised LeBron for his physical toughness.
“I thought he brought a level of physicality and he’s done it throughout his career that he’s just really comfortable playing that way and you see that whether it’s him on a back down or getting to the basket or drawing fouls that he forces you to match his physicality,” Redick said.
Throughout this series, LeBron has demonstrated he’s willing to do all the little things that impact winning and physicality is part of that.
He’s still out here making his rotations, crashing the defensive glass and initiating contact in the paint to generate calls.
With Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves out, everyone has to step up, and LeBron’s comfortable in that situation. After all, he’s been dragging teams to playoff success since he was in his 20s.
Now, two decades later, he’s still doing it. The Lakers haven’t lost this postseason, and LeBron’s physicality is dominating a Rockets team that is younger, faster and more athletic.
Nothing LeBron does anymore should shock us, but somehow, he is doing it again. After a pair of games, it’s gone from a conversation about how the Lakers might extend their season and turned into the Rockets looking for a path to victory, with none to be found.
That’s the power of LeBron. He’s an unstoppable force that’s yet to meet an immovable object.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
