LeBron James Gets Honest About Opening Night vs. Nuggets

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Speaking with reporters, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was asked about facing the Denver Nuggets on opening night.
"I don't get motivated against [who] the opponents [are] pretty much anymore," James said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I don't need it. I don't want to say I don't get motivated to play, because I do get motivated to go against the competition, I love competing against the best. But I don't need an individual or a team to motivate me. I'm self-motivated. I'm enough."
Not motivated by outside noise, James is focused on his team and what they can accomplish this season. This is similar to how Denver has publicly addressed some of the back and forth between them and the Lakers, with several Nuggets players saying last season is last season.
This has also been the message of Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who has made it clear that he and his team are not worried about the Lakers or what they have to say. After some trash talk over the summer, all of that is in the past, and the Nuggets are focused on what lies ahead of them this season in their title defense.
Looking to add at least one more title to his resume, LeBron James has the same focus, and knows opening night is just another game on the path to that goal.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.