LeBron James recorded 21 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Washington Wizards 120-101 on Monday at Crypto.com Arena. After the game, James shared candid insights on his career, family, and personal passions in a postgame press conference.
Recalling a memorable moment from 2014, James confirmed his son Bronny’s story about a one-on-one game in Miami. “Yeah, we had a hoop in our driveway and I drove around them and dunked it. I didn’t mean to shatter the glass but yeah, I shattered it,” he said. “I had to buy another one. Did I even buy another hoop? I don’t think I did either.”
On the Lakers’ performance Monday night, James emphasized the team’s focus on consistency. “We had a professional approach. We came in, got the job done, understanding it doesn’t matter who we’re playing. We’re still trying to build habits for the postseason,” he said.
James reflected on enjoying career milestones, including his third triple-double of the season. “It’s pretty cool to know that at this point in my career I’m still able to do those things. It’s super dope. It’s super humbling,” he said.
He also discussed his new passion for golf, which began after turning 40. “I never played golf in my life before… I said it was something maybe uncomfortable or never done in my life. I love how difficult it is and I love a challenge,” James said. He added that team competitions help build camaraderie: “For us, we have a lot of golfers on our team and the best thing about what we did in Orlando is that we beat the coaches. That was great.”
James praised contributions from his teammates in Doncic’s absence. “Every given night in the postseason, you can have a different guy step up. Our bigs were 13 for 13 from the floor, 14 rebounds, five blocks, one for one from three. Luke shot the piss off the ball again,” he said. Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes each scored 19 points off the bench while Austin Reaves added 19 points and nine assists.
He reflected on his son Bryce’s college success. “I had Bryce’s game on my iPad… my wife had Bryce’s game on the TV. I was watching Bronny go off and also seeing Bryce celebrate with his teammates as they went to the Final Four. It was super. My boy’s first year in college, he’s going to the Final Four,” James said.
James spoke on team readiness for the postseason. “We still got some games left. We still got to continue to improve… chemistry is high. Everyone loves being around each other. We love playing for one another,” he said.
The Lakers improved to 7-6 without Luka Doncic this season, with James achieving his 1,228th career victory, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most in NBA history. The team will host Cleveland on Tuesday, while the Wizards face Philadelphia on Wednesday.
