Is LeBron at his best level?
Tyronn Lue, head of the Cavs said that LeBron is definitely playing well, although they had to use him a little more than they wanted. But in the defining moments of the last game, “we needed him to grab the plays, he had the ball in his hands and he did it, he played at a great level”.
After the 113-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, in which he scored seven of his 39 points, including three points in the final minute, the four-time MVP and three-time NBA champion, LeBron James, made a bold proclamation about his level of play in his fifteenth season.
"It's probably a historic record," James told ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth during a postgame interview. "Only because of my body, my mind, my disposition and the way I approach the game. And then, just the grace of God, giving me the ability to do it. I am blessed and I never take it for granted."
Since returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, James' combined points, rebounds and assists per game have increased each season. That total is 44.4 for James this season, which would be the fourth highest of his career and the highest since the 2009-2010 season, when he was 25, according to ESPN Stats & Information. James finished the game on Wednesday with 15 of 25 shots from the field (and 5 of 8 in triple zone) with 10 assists and 8 rebounds. It was the fourth game of his career with 39 points or more, 8 rebounds or more and 10 assists or more, while achieving five or more three-pointers. He scored 13 of the Cavs' 15 final points in the first half, and its last nine in the second half.
Who isn’t in love with that man?
"He wanted it," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said of LeBron’s performance in the game. "The ball was in his hands. We wanted to put it in the hands of LeBron and run the pick-and-roll. "James has been on a streak since the Cavs changed their season with a dramatic renewal of their roster from the trade deadline. In 10 games with his new teammates, James averages 30 points, 9.8 assists and 9.7 rebounds per game and the Cavs are 6-4.
Undoubtedly, he’s been more than an asset. Wednesday's win was the second followed by the Cavs and a good start to their six-game road trip. "It's time to close for us and I just try to make some moves to try to win the game," James said. "I was able to free myself a little. I had a little air space in the shots. I'm just relying on my mechanics, trusting in what I've put in the game and I could beat them." James, 33, is fourth in the league in points per game, second in assists per game, seventeenth in rebounds and twenty-first in steals. He has also played all 64 Cavs games this season.
Let’s enjoy him for as long as we can.