LeBron James has taken aim at his critics as the NBA icon prepares for his 21st season in the league.
Despite being one of the league's dominant players throughout his two decades at the highest level, the 38-year-old is no stranger to criticism and people taking shots at his game and his legacy. James is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers hoping to improve on last season's exit in the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets,
And the four-time NBA champion posted on Instagram on Monday that he was "back at it" at 4.47am, returning to training ahead of the new season with emojis to say "the early bird gets the worm". He also posted a video with a set of University of Southern California gym clothes, the college that his son Bronny – a highly-regarded prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft – will attend this fall.
But the most pointed piece of James' flurry of social media activity was a video he posted on Instagram of a man with masterfully walking on a tightrope with the caption "Them: I can't wait until he fall off", making clear he believes his game remains at the very highest level.
The 19-time All-Star finished the season averaging 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists per game as he continued to be one of the NBA's most impactful players and, once the Lakers made a series of trade-deadline moves and James and his running mate Anthony Davis got healthy, they were one of the best teams in the league.
But the 4-0 sweep defeat to Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, who went on to win the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, is sure to have motivated James to do all he can to come back stronger for the 2023-24 season, and it is clear he is cutting no corners in his preparation and leaving nothing to chance.
James had flirted with the idea of retirement after the Lakers' playoff exit, but he quickly put those thoughts to bed and confirmed he plans to play on, with hopes of playing alongside Bronny for the team that drafts his son in 2024.
The four-time MVP has had a busy summer, most recently attending the Nike Peach Jam in South Carolina last week to coach his son Bryce's under-16 team in the showcase tournament. Bryce's team was coached by his father and former NBA star Rajon Rondo and went 3-1 but missed out on the knockout stage due to point differential.
Videos emerged of James passionately coaching and supporting his team from the sideline in North Augusta, with many NBA scouts sitting in the stands behind him to get a closer look at Bryce as he looks to follow his older brother's footsteps into the college ranks.
