LeBron James deflects Dillon Brooks trash talk ahead of Game 3

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Even at 38 years old, with 20 seasons of mileage on his legs, LeBron James is still plenty agile.

You could look between the four lines where the game is played, like James said Friday.

Or you could watch him sidestep chance after chance to respond to Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks, who called James “old” after Memphis evened the first-round series with the Lakers on Wednesday night.

Either way, James can clearly still get to where he wants to go.

One day ahead of Game 3, James masterfully avoided directly responding to Brooks or to answering vaguely tangential questions about the pesky defender before closing the books on his media session on his own terms.

“I don’t want to talk much more. Tomorrow is going to be a great game,” James said as he clapped his hands like a blackjack dealer leaving the table. “I’m not here for the bulls—. I’m ready to play and that’s it. All right?

“Appreciate it.”

Message sent.

“LeBron needs to come out and do what he’s always done. Just play the right way,” coach Darvin Ham said. “Everything else will take care of itself.”

The Lakers, as a whole, fended off Brooks’ postgame talk without response, save for Rui Hachimura, who said a little something.

When asked about the comments, Hachimura said he did see them.

“I’m not really into social media, but I heard about it. Honestly, that’s all they can do. They’re a young team,” Hachimura said. “They just want to talk. We just don’t really care. We’re going to play games and win this one.”

James and the Lakers, generally, seemed to know that whatever was said in the home locker room Wednesday night would have little effect on the game Saturday, the Lakers’ first home playoff game with a capacity crowd since 2013.

They also aren’t stressing over Ja Morant’s availability. Morant, who sat out Game 2because of right hand soreness, went through a noncontact practice Friday with the Grizzlies. Like before Game 2, he’ll be questionable on Saturday, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters.

Story continues

“They’re still a great team with or without him,” James said. “Nothing…

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Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2023-04-21 23:26:31

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