Overview
- James is active for the Lakers' home matchup with the Pistons on his 41st birthday, with Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent ruled out.
- Now in an unprecedented 23rd NBA season as the league's oldest active player, he has averaged about 20.5 points, 6.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds since returning.
- In a 125-101 win over the Kings, he shot 11-for-13 for his best single-game field goal percentage as a Laker and the third-best of his career.
- Head coach JJ Redick and teammates praised his durability, and the team released a tribute video featuring comments from Dončić, Reaves, Smart, Ayton and Kleber.
- An anonymous scout questioned his current impact on winning even as he produces big nights, reflecting mixed external evaluations of his late-career role.