LeBron James reflected on the respect between himself and Nikola Jokic following the Lakers’ 115-107 comeback over the Denver Nuggets. “There’s the utmost respect,” he said. “For the grace of today, for me, for all the greats that come, Jokic is one of the greatest players to ever play this game.”
James described his moment with Jokic after the game as meaningful. “The guy was grateful enough and gracious enough to give it to me, and it’s good to know the people that laid down and the word is being so great. That was a pretty cool moment for me,” he said.
The Lakers star also ranked semi-final between Team USA and Serbia in Paris 2024 Olympics among his most memorable games. “One of the greatest games I ever played. I played in a lot of great games—NBA Finals games, Olympic games, regular season games. That ranks right up there,” James said.
LeBron emphasized the importance of leadership and making teammates better. “Being a triple threat on the floor, giving confidence to my teammates, has always been something I wanted to do. If I can instill confidence in them, it helps my job a lot easier. You win games by a team. You win championships as a team,” he said.
James also praised Jamal Murray’s performance despite Nikola Jokic’s absence. “He’s been playing exceptionally well, shooting at a high level, scoring at a high level. They’ve won some big games without Jokic. He’s an all-star player for sure,” James said.
Regarding Murray, James highlighted his basketball IQ. “He’s a smart basketball player. His IQ correlates to this level. It’s great to see coaches believe in him over the last three games and he’s shown what he’s capable of,” he said.
Tuesday’s win featured Luka Doncic’s 38-point, 13-rebound, and 10-assist triple-double, overcoming a 16-point second-half deficit. LeBron added 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists while the Lakers played the entire second half without Deandre Ayton.
Los Angeles outscored Denver 58-36 over the final 20 minutes, marking their seventh-place team’s road triumph and improving the Lakers’ record to 25-16. Denver fell to 29-14 as they start a three-game road trip in Washington Thursday.
