LeBron James has been playing brilliant basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers, especially since returning from the 2020 NBA All-Star break.
And a part of that has been the addition of a deep three-point shot that is usually only present in the games of Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and Trae Young.
James has used that shot as a means of swinging momentum the team’s way in a time of need. He did it in the their win against the New Orleans Pelicans following a seismic Zion Williamson dunk and then another time against the Philadelphia 76ers. That time to solidify a Lakers run that spanned almost a full 12 minutes of game time and ultimately decided the game.
James spoke about why he’s added that to his arsenal.
“Because my teammates see me work on it a lot. I know I’m putting in the work on it. I don’t take any shots that I don’t work on. I’ve never done it in my career,” James said.
“I feel like I work on it and I trust my mechanics and I’m able to let it fly with confidence no matter what’s going on with the shot clock.”
James trusting his mechanics has yet to fail him, so there’s no reason to stop trusting it now.
James is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time and this season has really added fuel to his case. At 35 years old, James completely reworked his game, becoming the team’s full-time point guard and it has led to him leading the league in assists while putting up a Most Valuable Player-caliber season.
While James likely won’t win the MVP due to the historic season of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, he is arguably equally valuable to his team as him.
James’ mindset when it comes to this deep three-pointer is another testament to how he’s been able to maintain greatness over nearly two decades. The ability to constantly add new layers to his game and adapt to the modern NBA has led to unheard-of longevity.
It’s something that no NBA fan should take for granted and it’s something that’s leading the Lakers to championship contention.