LeBron James said the Lakers have spent their days leading into the first-round series against the Rockets doing exactly what a playoff team should do.
“We got to be locked in,” James said Thursday at practice, adding that Los Angeles has “had some really good days over the last couple days” and still has “another one tomorrow” before Game 1 on Saturday.
Even in his 23rd season, James said the postseason still brings the same urgency. “It’s competitive basketball so anytime you’re able to be in meaningful games it definitely means a lot more for sure,” he said.
The Lakers are preparing for a Houston team led by Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, and James made it clear he is not viewing the matchup as a one-man challenge. “KD is I mean I think the last time we were in Houston I told you how great he’s been since he picked up basketball,” James said. “Obviously we know that’s a heavy slate but it’s the Houston Rockets that have some damn good players on their team.”
He repeated that point when discussing the Rockets’ full lineup. “We have to prepare not only for him but for the whole group,” James said. “They possess some really damn good players on the floor. And we have to be ready for all of that from KD to Sengun to the Thompson twins, Jabari Smith, Sheppard.”
For James, the biggest difference between the regular season and the playoffs is the detail. “Nothing changes for me from the regular season to the postseason besides just even more heightened focus,” he said. “The only thing that changes in the postseason is you know that you’re going to be playing the same team at least four times.”
That preparation, he said, has already been strong. “We won fifty three games,” James said. “They prepared us all year. We look forward to continue to learn. We’ve had Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Today’s Thursday. We had three straight great days.”
James also highlighted the chance to share postseason minutes with his son Bronny. “Every moment we get an opportunity to play together is something I’ll never take for granted,” he said. “The fact that he’s put himself in position to get his number called for a postseason game is pretty remarkable and pretty cool given the circumstances that he’s been through the last couple years.”
Asked about the physical battle ahead, James did not soften his message. “Physical,” he said. “The best rebounding team in the last twenty five years. You don’t need to have a message… get your ass in there, box out, and rebound.”
