Dave McMenaminESPN Staff Writer November 20, 2023, 3:12am ET5 minutes read
LeBron hits Dillon Brooks with a “too small” gesture
LeBron James scores inside against Dillon Brooks, then taunts him with a “too small” gesture near the Lakers’ bench.
LOS ANGELES – The night before, LeBron James scored a season-high 37 points – including the free throw with 1.9 seconds left – while he took 40 minutes to lead the Lakers to a 105-104 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday Get rid of.
It was a rare night off for the 38-year-old player as his team was in the middle of six games in nine days, and he took a break from playing Madden NFL 24 to write a post on his Instagram Story.
He shared a graphic showing that his 35 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday marked the 108th time he surpassed the 30-point mark since signing with Los Angeles as a free agent in 2018.
“But I only came here to make movies!” James wrote, referring to the ridicule he received when he left Cleveland. “Isn’t that what you said, right!?!?”
Why did he choose this moment to respond to critics?
“Because sometimes you have to remind people,” James said Sunday after the win over the Rockets.
He reminded his teammates that he can still get airborne, capping a drive with a thunderous dunk midway through the fourth period that put LA ahead by seven and led to Houston calling a timeout.
“They joked with me and said I put the ball up too often when I have an open lane,” James said with a satisfied smile. “So I’m trying to change that narrative too.”
He reminded the armchair coaches who questioned why he would pass to an open Cam Reddish when the game was on the line early in the season that he would continue to find the open man in crunch time like he did , setting up Austin Reaves for a go-ahead 3-pointer with 24.2 seconds left to put LA up 103-100.
He reminded the Rockets’ Dillon Brooks, who has become a willing agitator in recent seasons, to rattle the cage at his own risk, as James scored 13 of his points on 5 of 6 shooting in the fourth quarter.
“This is competition,” James said of Brooks, who in the third quarter caused a technical foul on James by restricting his space too much and throwing an elbow, and in the fourth quarter caused James to make a “too small” gesture after hitting him had hit in the paint. “These young people get me going. So that’s what I need.”
LeBron James continued his historically efficient season Sunday night against the Rockets and willing agitator Dillon Brooks, scoring a season-high 37 points, including free throws.Eric Thayer/AP
And James remembers why he wants to continue playing in the NBA, with his financial future and professional successes already secured.
“I’m just trying to push the limits,” he said. “See how far I can take this thing. I don’t know it. I mean, it’s me versus Father Time.”
James has now had 109 games with 30 or more points as a Laker, passing Lakers legend Kobe Bryant on another historic list. James has played 237 games with 35 or more points in his career, eclipsing Bryant’s 236 points. That puts him third all-time, behind only Wilt Chamberlain (381) and Michael Jordan (333).
James did it by shooting 14 of 19 from the field (73.7%), continuing the most efficient season he has ever had if he keeps it up. James is shooting 58.6% overall in 13 games this season, which is better than his best career year with the Miami Heat in 2013-14 when he shot 56.7%. His 39.7% from 3 is also not far off the career-best 40.6% he posted with Miami in 2012-13.
“I’ve been able to be on the field a lot more on off days this year because I’ve had foot injuries or whatever the case may be the last couple of years,” James told ESPN. “Being able to focus on whatever I need to do instead of having to get up unless we’re playing games has allowed me to stay in rhythm.”
“I got my bounce back, my bounce back, my quick twitch back and stuff like that.”
It seems like he has regained his spirit too. After ending his 20th season by being swept out of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets and openly considering retirement, and then a summer in which his eldest son, Bronny James, suffered cardiac arrest, his joy was in the game unmistakable this season.
“The thing about Bron,” Reaves said, “I’ve never really seen him in a bad mood. He always has energy. He’s the oldest player in the NBA, but he acts like he’s 20 every day.”
He did it with Bronny in practice on Sunday after the USC freshman was able to take part in his team’s pregame warmups for the first time this season.
“At one point I looked over and saw Bronny sitting on the sidelines too, and I thought, ‘Okay, I need to turn it up a little bit,'” James said.
Turn it up and turn back time.
“He was outstanding,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “The LeBron we have all come to know and love over these 21 years.”