LeBron James knows where his biggest responsibilities lie as the Los Angeles Lakers navigate a difficult late-season stretch.
The Purple and Gold are short-handed heading into the postseason after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered major injuries. Los Angeles again played without its star backcourt Thursday against the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors.
With James leading the charge, the Lakers snapped a three-game skid with a hard-fought 119-103 win in San Francisco.
The Lakers has already clinched a playoff spot, with the postseason set to begin April 18. Even so, the 41-year-old James continues to make off-court sacrifices as the Lakers fight for positioning in the Western Conference.
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James' former teammate and close friend J.R. Smith revealed just how locked in the four-time NBA champion is ahead of the postseason.
James, an avid golfer, opted to forgo his regular tee time with Smith to focus entirely on the Lakers' season. Smith shared the details in an interview posted by Lakers Daily on X.
"We were supposed to play golf," Smith said. "He's like, 'Man, I can't play golf. I've got too much on my shoulders right now. If this was five years ago I would definitely play.'"
Smith, who won two championships alongside James in 2016 and 2020, also weighed in on the Lakers' injury woes.
"It's tough, man," he added. "It's always next man up mentality. I'm excited to see who can step up for them."
James backed up that focus with a prime performance against the Warriors. He tallied 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in 32 minutes.
He also received ample support from his teammates. DeAndre Ayton added 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and Jake LaRavia contributed 16 points.
James and the Lakers close out the regular season with matchups against the Phoenix Suns on Friday and the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
