LeBron James continues to defy Father Time while keeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the hunt for a playoff spot this season.
After they started 2-10, James started to turn it on, putting up 31.2 points per game in December while helping to keep them afloat after Anthony Davis went down with a stress injury in his right foot on Dec. 16.
In January, Los Angeles faced more adversity, as guards Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves were sidelined with knee tendonitis and a hamstring ailment, respectively. The team also had to ensure multiple heartbreaking losses in close games in which the officials missed several fouls that should’ve put James or his teammates at the free throw line with a chance to win.
But through it all, the 38-year-old logged some stupendous numbers in January.
LeBron James this season:
October/November —
25.8 PPG | 8.6 RPG | 6.4 APG | 46.6 FG%December —
31.2 PPG | 7.6 RPG | 7.0 APG | 54.0 FG%January —
33.8 PPG | 9.4 RPG | 8.2 APG | 50.0 FG%Getting better and better every month. pic.twitter.com/I0FAwRavuW
— NBA Muse (@NBAMuse24) February 1, 2023
It was the second-highest scoring average he has ever had in a month, which was boosted by four games of at least 40 points in January.
He missed three games during that span, but when he played, the Lakers had a solid 8-5 record.
James is now averaging 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game on the season, and he is just 89 points from overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading career scorer.