LeBron James Says To Be In The NBA Bubble, You Have To Really Love Basketball
After LeBron James' strongest performance in the NBA bubble, he talked about how wildly different it's been for him to play without fans.
James had 31 points in 35 minutes, eight rebounds and seven assists in the Lakers' 116-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. It was the Lakers' sixth game in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World, and James acknowledged he's still adjusting.
"It’s a very weird dynamic," he said. "I haven’t played in an empty gym in a very, very long time."
How long?
"The gyms weren’t as packed my freshman year," he said. "I was starting to make a name for myself, but the gyms were not as packed. But as far as empty? I don’t think I’ve ever played in an empty gym that really counted."
Welcome to 2020.
For someone who was touted as the "Chosen One" by Sports Illustrated as a high schooler before he even played in an NBA game, the days of empty arenas are fuzzy.
But this experience has reinforced one thing for James.
"You have to really love basketball to be here because there’s no extra motivation, you know, as far as that you get or the excitement from the crowd and things of that nature," he said. "You have to really like love the game and love the work and be able to lock in on your craft and that’s something that I actually love."
The Lakers, who clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference on Monday, lost their third game in a row on Saturday behind a 39-point performance from T.J. Warren, who scored seven points in the final 1 minute and 25 seconds.
James made a three-pointer with 8.2 seconds left to cut the Lakers' deficit to 114-111, but Victor Oladipo made two free throws with 4.2 seconds left to seal the win for the Pacers.
James said he's not too worried about the team's shaky offense over the last five games, adding that he saw signs of improvement on Saturday when the team shot 42 percent from the field and made 13 three-pointers, nearly twice as many as they had made over their last two games combined.
"Tonight, we finally seen the ball go through the hole from the outside and we defended," James said. "Once again, like I said, T.J. made some big shots down the stretch and Oladipo made some big shots and [Malcolm] Brogdon as well. But defensively, we were very in tune. So I like where we are today from where we were in the OKC game."
James, who is one of three finalists for the MVP award, said he's finally starting to find his rhythm during the NBA restart. Before the season was paused March 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, James was leading the league in assists with 10.6 a game, while also averaging 25.7 points and 7.9 rebounds a game. Then the 35-year-old had four months off to stiffen up.
"I feel my legs are continuing to get up underneath me, my shot is starting to feel a lot better," he said.
Davis, on the other hand, struggled Saturday, finishing with eight points on three-for-14 shooting. He missed each of his four three-point attempts.
"I obviously have to be better," Davis said. "I had some good looks tonight. Just missed. Some shots around the rim, layups that I missed, open 3s, missed, open midrange shot. Shots were just not going in. I’m still confident in my game. I’m confident in the offensive end. But at the same time, when the double teams are coming, I’m trying to make the right reads. Sometimes that read might be go to the basket or shoot over two or whatever. Or it might be kicked out. But I definitely have to be better. And I will be."
Quinn Cook helped pick up the slack, scoring 21 points in 23 minutes, including making five three-pointers.
The Lakers have only two seeding games remaining before the playoffs begin.
When asked if the Lakers are on the same page heading into the postseason, James acknowledged he's not sure. This is an unusual time. Different circumstances. Unchartered territory.
"This is a different situation than any situation I’ve been in so it’s kind of hard to say, ‘Okay, well the playoffs is right around the corner, this is where we’re going to be,’" he said. "We’re literally in a -- we’re in a bubble -- it’s kind of hard to explain."
This much is for sure, James is trying to make the best of this situation.
But he can't wait until things return to normal.
"The fans is what make the game," he said. "Without the fans, I wouldn’t be who I am today. To all the fans out there that were kind of watching me play, I miss you guys and I hope that someday we can get back to that interaction."
