LeBron James still had special season amid setbacks for Lakers, who win home finale

The group bought to cheer LeBron James one final time at dwelling this season.

That the second got here when he walked out of the crew’s tunnel in avenue garments early within the first quarter of the Lakers recreation with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder appeared becoming.

The Lakers closed their season at Crypto.com Area on Friday evening — a 120-101 victory — with James on the bench, the crew formally ruling him out for the remainder of the season due to his sprained left ankle.

“He’s a very powerful piece on our crew,” coach Frank Vogel stated, “so to not have him was troublesome, however accidents are a part of the sport.”

James completed the season main the Lakers with 30.3 factors per recreation, capturing 52.4% from the sphere and 35.9% on three-pointers.

The 30.3-point common is the primary time he has scored greater than 30 a recreation since 2008 and solely the third time he has accomplished it in his profession.

“I admire it and love y’all love!” James tweeted Friday afternoon. “Want it was accomplished in successful trend although! Gave the whole lot I needed to this season once I was on the ground! See y’all once more within the fall.”

The Lakers, for the second straight recreation, performed with out Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony and James. Vogel stated the crew hadn’t dominated out Davis, Westbrook or Anthony of their highway recreation towards the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

James’ season is the primary time in NBA historical past anybody older than 33 averaged 30 factors. Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, Jerry West, Allen Iverson, Rick Barry and James Harden are the one gamers to common 30 or extra in a season after turning 30.

On Friday, Vogel as soon as once more referred to as James the most effective to ever play basketball.

“Sooner or later he’s not going to have the ability to play on the stage that he’s taking part in. Clearly Father Time catches up with all people, however I feel all people thought that may have been three, 4, 5 years in the past and he’s nonetheless doing it,” Vogel stated. “I feel it’s simply going to be extra of what we noticed this yr, MVP-level play, up till the physique tells him he can’t try this anymore. However clearly that’s not now.”

James’ place among the many finest in NBA historical past was formally established earlier this season when he was honored as a member the NBA’s top-75 all-time crew. Friday, with the crew celebrating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s seventy fifth birthday eight days early, James was joined within the constructing by a bunch of Lakers and basketball legends together with Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes, Spencer Haywood, Ann Meyers Drysdale and Invoice Walton.

The crew honored Abdul-Jabbar at halftime, the previous a way more nice place today than this crew’s current — which is able to finish with the crew’s recreation Sunday in Denver following their elimination from the postseason earlier this week.

“He’s the best participant of all time and so to be lucky, to be part of that’s one thing that I take a substantial amount of pleasure in and clearly you wish to see him have these seasons play out in the end culminating in one other championship or extra championships,” Vogel stated.

Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, entrance left, watches as candles are lit on his cake throughout a halftime celebration for his seventy fifth birthday.

(Ashley Landis / Related Press)

“On the finish of the day, that’s all that issues and once we fall quick and we miss the playoffs there’s disappointment for lots of people.”

Whereas the Lakers didn’t come near fulfilling their expectations, James was capable of placed on a present.

“You see greatness simply elevating its stage proper in entrance of your eyes,” Vogel stated of James. “And also you’re simply in entrance of it and also you’re in awe. It was a particular yr and it was superior.”