After the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, attention turned to LeBron James and his workload this season. Questions arose about whether James might be fatigued after playing in all 21 games so far.
The 39-year-old superstar has previously expressed a clear goal of completing all 82 games in the regular season – a feat of endurance that his coach, JJ Redick, seems to approach with cautious doubt.
“I don’t know that’s in the best interest of him and us if he does that,” Redick admitted. “But if he’s feeling well and feeling good, then he should play. But we obviously want to manage that as best we can.”
Despite the concerns, James himself appears resolute, at least for now, about sticking to his plan.
“That’s a goal, but we’ll see,” James said when asked about his commitment to playing every game. “It’s something I ain’t discussing right now.”
The Lakers, who opened November with a promising six-game winning streak, have struggled to maintain that momentum.
They’ve lost five over their last seven outings, causing them to slide into eighth place in the tightly contested Western Conference standings.
This recent dip in form has only heightened the scrutiny surrounding James’ playing time and the team’s overall performance.
JJ Redick Not Sure LeBron James Should Play All 82 Games https://t.co/2ihQBFkP1B
— RealGM (@RealGM) December 3, 2024
