And Bart, I mean, losing to the Wizards now.

I know the Wizards air on a little bit of a run right now, but still, and without Anthony Davis, there are much different team clearly, and there's a lot of pressure now on.

LeBron James at this point is currently age of 36 to carry them throughout this, you know, throughout the season until Davis does come back and whatever kind of shape he's in.

When he does come back, we'll see.

He's averaging 28 eight and eight.

He's also averaging 35 minutes a game, which is his lowest minutes output of his entire career.

So he's not playing.

Although last year I'm just I'm sorry.

He's at the same as he was last year, 30 35 last year, 35 this year.

So he's not.

It's not as if he's playing 38 40 minutes, but he's playing a little bit less.

But now that the talk about it is, LeBron needs to back it down, maybe he needs to get into the load management stuff that Kawai has been doing for many years now, and LeBron is basically saying that ain't for May.

Here's what he said when talking about the narrative regarding him needing rest.

I mean, I'm resting now.

I'm sitting here talking to you guys arrested when I get my car and head home arrested.

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 has 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.

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.

He's always been available to his teammates.

That's one thing you can.

We've always talked about his best abilities, durability and his availability.

The Lakers have lost three in a row.

They've dropped now to third or tied with the Clippers, really for second in the West.

But LeBron throughout his career, think about it.

He doesn't miss games.

He doesn't miss time.

It's rare for him.

In fact, the one season that stands out to me is 2014, 15 year where he played under 70 games.

Other than that in any other non lockout, non pandemic year, he's always played over 70 games and in some cases, even 80 or the full 82.

So what is this narrative then?

Barred, And why does he have to address it?

Well, he has address it.

He's always controlling the narrative about what he's going to do and trying to make itself the victim or the hero.

I mean, you talk about his minutes.

He still had 43 minutes yesterday.

So if he's averaging 35?

Yeah.

Okay.

Well, yeah, I got you.

Yeah.

You know, talk about 43 minutes.

Um, you get concerned with that he's gonna wear down in the playoffs because he feels like he has an obligation to try and have to carry the carry the team.

And it's like one of those things.

And when you when you look at him and you look at, you know, potentially where they're gonna end up maybe third or fourth.

You know the people that they're gonna have to go through to be able to get to to the championship.

But, you know, I think it's the bigger story.

Is that without a D?

They're not a special team.

He's the one who makes them special because he's the unicorn, his ability to to stretch the cord.

And now I'll be able to shoot the three, you know, for average.

Also, his ability.

They have no big man.

And then so you worry about like when it's not about when you lose people, it's not about the person that replaces them or trying to pick up the slack.

It's the person behind that person, and in this instance, it's the person that's behind the person.

To me, it's Marc Gasol, right?

Who you want to try and keep fresh to try and give you some size and some spacing as well.

And now his minutes are being pushed 27 minutes.

So you worry about that happening because not the superstar you speck LeBron James.

He's always been able to step up to the task.

He's always been able to kind of feel avoided whatever his team needs.

But it's the other guys.

Is the others younger?

Step up.

It's always been his supporting cast that comes into question in the years where they're not the best team in the league.

And they got off to such a great start, but now struggling and clearly, you know, again with no a d.

Now it's interesting.

They released, uh, Omar Cook and the Rockets and now expecting to waive DeMarcus Cousins.

So I'm kind of wondering if there's, you know, obviously some synergy there, and just cousins end up back in L.

A.

Like Do we see a scenario where cousins joins them and gives them a little bit of big man depth?

He's not the guy he used to be, but at least he's still a guy that can stretch it.

He can shoot.

He's got some toughness he can play, just can't play big minutes.

What does that Brooklyn.

Hey, why wouldn't Brooklyn hate Take something that can clearly help the Lakers because you, no matter what, when the a d comes back, we're all looking and waiting to see if that if that calf slash Achilles is gonna be able to hold up, so why would they play a little hater ball and say, Hey, you know, come on over here buggy, Um, and be one of the guys.

Kiss and make up.

There's one reason you remember the way James Harden left.

Rockets Boogie was one of the out spoken guys about that whole scenario.

So I'm not sure that's probably the best thing you could bring into that locker room right now or if he'd even want to go there.

He was already in L.

A probably better to be in L.

A.

Than in ice cold New York right now.

Anyway, I know you know what that's all about.

It is ice cold.

New York, but the team is hot.

That is the intake.

It's true They won six and early play again tonight.

Now we'll see how things go there.

But LeBron could have ended that game if you made a free throw.

I just think he talks about this stuff because it's becoming a conversation.

But you know what else is becoming conversation?

LeBron being an M V P.

Here we go.

Start up the engine.

Let's start now, creating another.

Another campaign for LeBron, the oldest M V P.

Could it happen.

It certainly could if he could drive this team, uh, to top they They're gonna be a top four finish in the West, There's no doubt, but can they can they?

Can he drive them this season and not miss any time?

And, yeah, you take it away from some other guys, but this conversation never going away.

LeBron, you say what you want about him.

He's not a guy that takes a ton of time off.

He doesn't do that, and I don't think he'll start doing it now.

But it doesn't mean that if things really fall apart with the Lakers, that it might be the right time for him to do it because he isn't getting any younger.

And it's so nice that the media is very concerned about his well being.

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