USA Today via Reuters
Dec 23, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (6) drives to the net against San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl (25) during the first quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 23, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (6) drives to the net against San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl (25) during the first quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James chose the right day to channelize his inner Michael Jordan. This is the last game at the Staples Center before it gets renamed to Crypto.com arena ahead of Christmas. It is a day when all the fans are paying their respect to the legends who have given them unforgettable memories there. LeBron James is still a constant reminder that there is still an All-Time NBA Legend playing for the Lakers. His choice of shot, which was a classic Michael Jordan move back in his day, gave the fans just the highlight they were looking for.
This happened in the opening minutes of their game against the San Antonio Spurs.
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LeBron spins and scoops for the tough ✌@Lakers and Spurs in Q1 on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/V0kkYEn6W6 pic.twitter.com/bFeJZbLp5x
— NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2021
LeBron James emulates Michael Jordan’s classic move for the tough shot
Michael Jordan had a history of making unbelievable shots from angles that nobody thought possible. One of his most famous moves is his no-look scoop to the basket which he used very effectively. It was one among the many moves in his arsenal that made him unstoppable and unguardable.
What does this mean for the Lakers?
The Lakers had a late tip-off in this iconic game because of a pre-game presentation which was a tribute to the Staples Center. While the arena remains the same, the name change signifies a lot for the Lakers fans especially.
Some fans are happy that Staples Center will not forever become the stadium name associated with legends like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. This will allow relatively new stars like Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis get to write their own version of Lakers’ history in a new arena.
USA Today via Reuters
Nov 21, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) and forward Anthony Davis (3) react after a play during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
While Davis misses out on this game due to a knee injury, Westbrook and LeBron are still carrying the offensive load. From all the past games, one key takeaway for the Lakers has been their lack of defense. In their last game against the Suns, Phoenix got too many uncontested shots from the arc which sent Lakers fans raging.
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Therefore, as LeBron already looks like he has channelized his inner Michael Jordan for this game, he should also encourage the team like Jordan did, to hustle on defense.
