The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets for the second time in three nights on Wednesday. Luka Dončić put on a show while trash-talking a fan and the Lakers have now won seven straight and moved into the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
In addition to Dončić's 40-point near-triple-double, Los Angeles got 30 points from 41-year-old LeBron James. LeBron was nearly perfect from the floor, making 13 of 14 shots, to go along with five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. The numbers are impressive, but the eye test was even better.
James turned back the clock with multiple impressive dunks, including one where he seemed to catch the ball behind the backboard in what can only be described as a tribute to '91 Grant Hill on the eve of March Madness. The only major difference being Grant Hill was 18-years old at the time. This is LeBron James at 41:
"He caught that behind the backboard."
— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2026
41 YEARS OLD.
23rd SEASON 👑 https://t.co/8kpNITiFtt pic.twitter.com/SzSjAfVoY5
After the game, the media asked JJ Redick, another former Duke star, how he felt about LeBron's ability to finish above the rim at his age.
Redick joked that he could still touch the rim before giving a very thoughtful answer about what LeBron is able to do, not only on the court, but in his life, this late in his career.
"I saw this on Instagram. There’s a four burner theory that when you’re trying to achieve something, there’s four burners on a stove," said Redick. "And those four burners are work, health, family and friends. And it’s very hard to have all four burners going. For me, in-season, it is work and family. Those are the only two that I've got going. Unfortunately, I don’t really get to see friends outside of the people I work with and my family. So my health sucks. The last five years I haven’t done a lot to do that. And I’ll admit that. Watching him, it actually probably makes me feel like a loser? And every time he falls on the ground, every time he has a box out, every time he gets hit hard and transition, I feel it too because I'm just so out of shape right now."
If nothing else, James is a reminder to everyone that you really can't have at all. The family, the career, the God-given an ability to dunk a basketball really hard into your forties. And look how much fun he is having traveling around the country with his friends. Most people can't even get away from the office!
How far can the Lakers go?
As mentioned above, the Lakers are now in sole possession of the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. All three of their stars are healthy and LeBron James seems to be embracing his role as the third option, which Redick alluded to recently.
Not to mention that last night Austin Reaves seemed to happily share the ball and DeAndre Ayton seems to have done some self-reflection and is ready to embrace his role in the supporting cast.
There's a reason the Lakers are still considered contenders. And it seems like it's going to be fun to watch.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as JJ Redick Feels Like a ‘Loser’ Watching LeBron James Turn Back the Clock Again.
