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  • In the meantime, let's take it back to the Staples Center, discussing the Lakers recent struggles after last night's lost, the defending champs have lost four of their last five games.

  • LeBron scored 31 points, had nine rebounds, 13 assists in 43 minutes of action.

  • But he also had eight turnovers.

  • Went 13 at one of three from the line in the fourth quarter and overtime.

  • And look, we keep talking about it.

  • His workload this season has been off the charts, even for him.

  • He has played in all 32 games this season, third in the N B A in total minutes played leads the league in minutes per game for the month of February.

  • The last time he did that, that was back in 2006, when he was 21 years old.

  • He's 36 years old now.

  • But after the game, as usual, LeBron did not want to hear any rest talk.

  • Take a listen.

  • I'm resting now.

  • I'm sitting here talking to you guys.

  • I'm resting.

  • When I get my car and head home and rest when I get home, I arrest tomorrow.

  • Um you know, I think this whole narrative of, You know, LeBron needs more rest, or I should take more rest.

  • I should take time here.

  • Um, it's become a lot bigger than what it actually really is.

  • I've never talked about it.

  • I don't talk about it.

  • I don't believe in it.

  • Um, you know, we all need more rest.

  • I mean, this is ah, fast turnaround from last season on.

  • We all wish we could have more rest, But, you know, I'm here to work, and I'm here toe punch my clock in and be available to my teammates.

  • So perk.

  • You know, LeBron, you played with LeBron.

  • He doesn't want the narrative to build that he needs rest in some way.

  • Is it a good time or a bad time for the Lakers to step in and start load managing LeBron a little more so that he does not have that empty tank for the playoffs?

  • Well, I'll tell you one thing, Rachel.

  • Good luck to whoever tried to stop him from playing whoever go tell him the low management, because it's not gonna work.

  • LeBron looks frustrated.

  • He looks irritated about the narrative of him saying he need risk to me.

  • LeBron James wants to play.

  • He's showing us that he wants to play ultimate.

  • I know he didn't have conversations with Rob for Lincoln, Frank Vogel about low management and, hey, he wants to be out there right now.

  • He's playing at a high level.

  • Obviously, they're not winning games at this moment, But you could tell he's still playing with a great joy.

  • And here's the thing that I love, right.

  • LeBron James committed two years, signed a two year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers this off season, averaging about 40 something million dollars a year.

  • And he's given us all the fans, the media, what we want.

  • And that's LeBron James on the court, and he's not.

  • He's not shortness.

  • He's given us basketball at a high level, and if he want to play 50 minutes, I'm all in for it because nobody knows their body like LeBron James does.

  • Yeah, I wanna go back to five years ago when the same conversation was being had when we had a locker down a few dollars from LeBron and they said the same thing and I'll tell you what.

  • At the time, I felt like Boy LeBron, you really need to rest, and he was basically like, Look, I don't wanna hear it.

  • I know what my body needs and I know what I need to do and I will do it.

  • And I do think that there are times when certain players in this league have to be talked to and managed.

  • I do not think LeBron James is one of those players.

  • He is one of one.

  • I remember doing this story three years ago.

  • I probably did this story and talked about this 18 months ago.

  • This is something that has been with LeBron.

  • He is going Teoh be able to play the minutes.

  • He feels he can play at age 36 at age 38 at age 26.

  • And perk is correct.

  • The person who will decide how many minutes he plays is LeBron James.

  • And so I'm not gonna freak out in February.

  • I don't think that Frank Vogel should think this should should last a long time, but I also know that it's gonna be LeBron's call at the end of the day.

  • Let's take a look here at the Lakers schedule again.

  • They've lost three in a row.

  • This is what they have coming up, and seating is not the most important thing for this team they feel is long as they are whole and healthy by the playoffs.

  • They can compete with anyone there, certainly the defending champs.

  • But that being said, you want to set yourself up for success in the playoffs.

  • And LeBron wants to set himself up for being a strong contender and M v P voting, which means, of course, playing games.

  • So we will keep track of how of all of that.

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In the meantime, let's take it back to the Staples Center, discussing the Lakers recent struggles after last night's lost, the defending champs have lost four of their last five games.

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