Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James took quite a beating on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, but he still made time for a postgame interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters.
James was nearly perfect for the Lakers, scoring 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting from the field. During the final six minutes of the fourth quarter, James fell on his shooting elbow after taking a hard foul from Jabari Smith. Although it looked bad in the moment, it didn't stop him from making crucial plays down the stretch.
"Right now, I feel like s---. But in the game, I felt pretty good. Before the game, I didn't feel that great," James said, via ESPN. "I mean, I was yawning and tired and telling myself, I was literally just like talking to myself like, 'Come on, here we go. Let's figure it out. Let's get through it.' But I felt pretty good in the game. I'm happy I'm able to make a few plays to help our team win."
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images.
After the Lakers secured a 124-116 win over the Rockets, James showed respect to Salters during his postgame interview.
"I'm going to throw some ice on it as soon as I get to the locker room. That's why I kinda ran off," James said. "But I love you, you’re awesome, so I had to come back and do this interview for you."
Salters has been part of ESPN's NBA coverage since 2005. Moments like her interview with James remind fans why she's a Sports Emmy-winning reporter.
The Lakers are on the rise.
At 44-25, the Lakers are currently in possession of the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. It's incredibly unlikely they'll catch the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs in the standings, but they're proving they'll be a tough out in the playoffs.
If the playoffs were to begin today, the Lakers would face the Denver Nuggets in the opening round.
James and the Lakers will return to action this Thursday against the Miami Heat. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.
