<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-draymond-green-warriors-championship-declaration');   ga('set', 'title', 'LeBron James blows off Draymond Green’s Warriors championship declaration');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Lakers-star-LeBron-James-2.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>LeBron James blows off Draymond Green’s Warriors championship declaration</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T07:13:49-07:00">April 4th, 7:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T07:13:49-07:00">April 4th, 7:13am</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers dropped a 123-116 decision to the Golden State Warriors at home on Thursday night. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-news-lebron-james-stephen-curry-duel-sparks-buzz-lakers-warriors-thriller">LeBron James powered the Lakers’ offense</a> with 33 points, five rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and one block. He shot 10-for-15 from the field and knocked down 5 of his 8 attempts from deep in 40 minutes of action.</p><p>After the game, the Lakers superstar fielded questions about the Warriors and the playoff race. James, who said he’s “hopeful” to suit up against New Orleans, kept the spotlight on Los Angeles when asked about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-generates-dpoy-noise-luka-doncic-lockdown">Warriors forward Draymond Green</a>’s bold confidence in the Warriors’ title hopes this season.</p><p>“I have no idea, I can’t answer that question,” James <a href="https://www.twitter.com/mcten/status/1908041372675821971" rel="noopener">said when asked to weigh in</a> on Green’s take about Golden State being a contender. “Got to worry about us. I can’t be worrying about other teams. That ain’t my job.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LeBron James says the Warriors “always figure it out” by adding talent around Stephen Curry. But when asked about Draymond Green’s bullish stance on GSW’s championship chances, James said: “I got to worry about us. I can’t be worrying about other teams. That ain’t my job” <a href="https://t.co/gtp94feCyi">pic.twitter.com/gtp94feCyi</a></p><p>— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1908041372675821971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Warriors deployed a switch-everything defensive scheme that threw the Lakers off rhythm in the first half. L.A. shot just 35.7% from the field and went into the break trailing 60-47.</p><p>The Lakers surged in the second half, putting up 69 points. LeBron James, in his seventh game since returning from a two-week absence due to a strained left groin, scored 25 of his 33 points, while Austin Reaves added 20 of his 31 points after the break.</p><h2><b>LeBron James and the Lakers approaching the Playoffs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LeBron-James-with-the-Lakers.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Lakers superstar also commented on Jimmy Butler’s addition to the Warriors stating, “I’ve been a part of them making big acquisitions to change their dynamic of their team before. I had to go against them when they added Kevin Durant. Jimmy Butler is great. He adds a toughness to them. He adds a Championship DNA type of guy. It’s always the same. They always figure it out.”</p><p>The Warriors have gone 20-4 in the 24 games Butler has suited up. While Butler had a relatively quiet outing with 11 points, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/steph-curry-new-big-3-provides-inevitable-edge-warriors-pass-playoff-tests">two-time MVP Stephen Curry</a> carried the load, exploding for 37 points, three rebounds, and six assists while shooting 10-of-21 from the floor.</p><p>With the loss, the Lakers fell to 46-30 through 76 games, sliding into the fourth seed in a tight Western Conference standings.</p><p>The Lakers sit one game ahead of the No. 5 Warriors, holding the tiebreaker after winning the season series 3-1. However, they trail No. 3 Denver by half a game, and the Nuggets own the tiebreaker advantage.</p><p>The Lakers welcome the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans on Friday in the second half of a back-to-back. After that, they hit the road for a two-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, then head to Dallas on Wednesday for Luka Doncic’s first game against his former team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James blows off Draymond Green’s Warriors championship declaration

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-fans-draymond-green-brutal-foul-lebron-james');   ga('set', 'title', 'Fans go after Draymond Green after brutal foul on LeBron James');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Draymond-Green-guarding-LeBron-James.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Fans go after Draymond Green after brutal foul on LeBron James</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T06:07:42-07:00">April 4th, 6:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T06:07:42-07:00">April 4th, 6:07am</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-news-lebron-james-stephen-curry-duel-sparks-buzz-lakers-warriors-thriller">Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors</a> matchup never disappoint—it’s always must-see TV. With star power, drama, and high-level basketball, the rivalry packs it all. Tonight was no different, but this time, the drama dominated. Draymond Green’s controversial foul on LeBron James ignited fury in the four-time MVP, who demanded the officials enforce a harsh penalty.</p><p>It occurred early in the second half. Trailing by eleven, LeBron attacked the basket, looking to trim the lead to single digits. But Draymond Green met him at the rim, delivering a hard foul while doing everything he could to prevent LeBron’s shot from going in. The impact left LBJ shaken, and he crashed to the floor as Green appeared to try to steady him. The officials called a foul on Green, but LeBron wasn’t having it.</p><p>James quickly rose and confronted the officials, arguing that the foul should be deemed flagrant. The Lakers star was visibly animated on the sidelines, with JJ Redick supporting his stance. In response, the referees reviewed the play for a potential flagrant. However, after the replay, they saw no malicious intent from Green and upheld their initial call of a common foul.</p><p>But <a href="https://www.twitter.com/LakeShowYo/status/1908001315013185824" rel="noopener">fans were quick to blast</a> Draymond Green’s nasty foul on James:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I need Draymond Green arrested IMMEDIATELY </p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/LADEig?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LADEig</a>) <a href="https://t.co/mYKUlQ5tFe">pic.twitter.com/mYKUlQ5tFe</a></p><p>— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakeShowYo/status/1908001315013185824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I need Draymond Green arrested IMMEDIATELY” one fan wrote.</p><p>“Thats a 90s hard foul.” said another.</p><p>While another fan wrote that it’s just a normal Draymond Green / LeBron James interaction saying, “Bahahaha… typical Green and James.”</p><p>The review of the foul was prompted <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-generates-dpoy-noise-luka-doncic-lockdown">by Draymond’s reputation</a>, considering his past unsportsmanlike actions. However, the foul on James didn’t appear to justify the review. After the officials upheld the original call, the game carried on, with LBJ sinking one of his two free throws. Despite the controversy, it was Draymond who ultimately had the final word.</p><h2><b>The Warriors avoiding a season sweep from the Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Warriors-forward-Draymond-Green-and-Lakers-star-LeBron-James.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In their three prior matchups this season, Los Angeles remained undefeated against Stephen Curry and the Warriors. LeBron James was dominant in each game, posting double-doubles and averaging 32.6 points.</p><p>Tonight, he sizzled in the second half. After scoring just eight points in the first quarter, LeBron exploded, finishing with 33 points and nine assists—his highest scoring game since returning from his groin injury.</p><p>Despite LeBron’s standout performance, the Lakers couldn’t pull out the win. The Warriors thwarted the season sweep with a 123-116 victory, claiming the most pivotal game of the series.</p><p>Green didn’t contribute much on the scoreboard, but he made a significant impact defensively with 11 rebounds and one block. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry posted 37 points, and Brandin Podziemski added 28 points to help secure the win.</p><p>The win pushed Golden State closer to securing an automatic playoff spot, placing them fifth in the standings with a 45-31 record. The Lakers remained in fourth at 46-30, just behind third-place Denver (47-30).</p><p>The Warriors and Lakers are locked in a fierce six-team battle for the final four automatic playoff spots in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies, both vying for a top-six finish, picked up key wins.</p><p>Despite the victory, the Warriors are still in the play-in race. They hold only a half-game lead over the Grizzlies and Timberwolves, with the Clippers just one game behind. They’ll return to the Chase Center tomorrow night to face the Nuggets, aiming to secure another win against a playoff-bound team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fans go after Draymond Green after brutal foul on LeBron James

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-news-lebron-james-stephen-curry-duel-sparks-buzz-lakers-warriors-thriller');   ga('set', 'title', 'LeBron James-Stephen Curry duel sparks buzz amid Lakers vs. Warriors thriller');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Stephen-Curry-and-LeBron-James-battle-it-out.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>LeBron James-Stephen Curry duel sparks buzz amid Lakers vs. Warriors thriller</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T02:44:46-07:00">April 4th, 2:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T02:45:45-07:00">April 4th, 2:45am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>And the show goes on. NBA fans have been devouring face-offs between LeBron James and Stephen Curry for more than a decade now, as these two titans continue to hypnotize the masses when they share the court together. In addition to the aura of magnificence that filled Crypto.com Arena, this latest meeting featured high stakes.</p><p>Both the Golden State Warriors (45-31) and Los Angeles Lakers (46-30) desperately want to avoid grinding out a game or two in the NBA Play-In Tournament and are eying home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Their two keystones rose to the occasion and exhibited efforts befitting of a big postseason collision.</p><p>James scored 33 points on 10-of-15 shooting and made 5-of-8 3-pointers, while also recording nine assists, six rebounds, one steal and one block. The mammoth 40-minute outing was for naught, however, as Curry dropped a game-high 37 points on 10-of-21 shooting along with six assists in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-generates-dpoy-noise-luka-doncic-lockdown">123-116 Warriors win</a>. These two basketball savants still find ways to amaze viewers. Perhaps that is what defines their respective legacies most of all.</p><h2><b>Fans relish the latest chapter of LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry</b></h2><p>“Two legends dueling it out!” <a href="https://x.com/dschnaq/status/1908029865003036879" rel="noopener">@dschnaq marveled</a>. “No game is more entertaining then these,” <a href="https://x.com/BronWorld/status/1908022592461770791" rel="noopener">@BronWorld declared</a>. “Imagine Stephen Curry and Lebron James in the same team,” <a href="https://x.com/FilmWWECrickNBA/status/1908030467498025029" rel="noopener">@FilmWWECrickNBA pondered</a>. James and Curry exhilarated many basketball fans when they led Team USA to a gold medal in the Paris Olympics last summer, but they would have garnered unprecedented amount of attention if they were NBA teammates.</p><p>The public will have to settle for them being opponents. Although Curry’s Warriors defeated James and the Cleveland Cavaliers three times in the NBA Finals during the 2010s, this should not be viewed as a one-sided rivalry by any means. The all-time scoring champion bested the greatest shooter ever in 2016, and he led the Cavs to a six-game series in 2015 despite Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving both being injured.</p><p>The NBA Finals are obviously off the table now, but these two icons could still duke it out in the postseason. While the Western Conference seeding situation is in considerable doubt, the Warriors and Lakers are currently slated to play each other in the first round. The people demand it, especially after watching Stephen Curry and LeBron James trade buckets on Thursday.</p><h2><b>Will there be at least one more big battle between these innovative hoopers?</b></h2><p>“Need this matchup in the playoffs,” <a href="https://x.com/Maddenmobileluv/status/1908022579207475699" rel="noopener">@Maddenmobileluv expressed</a>. This could be the last opportunity to pit the league’s flag bearers against one another in a do-or-die type of environment. As was the case in their past showdowns, they will be accompanied by other exceptional talents.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-fans-ruthlessly-clown-luka-doncic-warriors-game">Luka Doncic struggled</a> versus Golden State, but he is a sensational playoff performer who led the Dallas Mavericks to the Finals last season. Austin Reaves is blossoming into an All-Star caliber player, scoring 31 points and shooting an outstanding 9-of-15 from behind the 3-point line. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-why-jimmy-butler-draymond-green-match-made-in-heaven">Jimmy Butler has made a transformative impact</a> on the Warriors, and Draymond Green is marching toward his second Defensive Player of the Year Award. This will not merely be the LeBron and Curry show.</p><p>But they are still the NBA’s headliners for the time being. And the league and a large chunk of the fan base want to savor that fact for as long as possible.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James-Stephen Curry duel sparks buzz amid Lakers vs. Warriors thriller

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lebron-james-goes-down-after-taking-crushing-hit-in-lakers-vs-warriors-contest');   ga('set', 'title', 'LeBron James goes down after taking crushing hit in Lakers vs. Warriors contest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LeBron-James-in-action-during-a-game.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>LeBron James goes down after taking crushing hit in Lakers vs. Warriors contest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T19:54:55-07:00">April 3rd, 7:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T19:56:50-07:00">April 3rd, 7:56pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna has joined ClutchPoints as Associate Editor of NFL &amp; NCAA Football. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports. His Twitter/X handle is @LJ_Reyna and his Instagram is @lj_zo_rey.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers watched a massive scare unfold Thursday. LeBron James went down hard in a crushing collision against the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>The four-time NBA champion sprinted inside the paint on offense. Jonathan Kuminga got in his way. James pushed off from Kuminga awkwardly — and grimaced on the floor in pain. The moment took place during the first half.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LeBron James went down after this collision with Jonathan Kuminga.</p><p>He appears to be okay and has since returned to the game 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/KKxQ3d4noe">pic.twitter.com/KKxQ3d4noe</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1907984918350619088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The 40-year-old spent a lengthy time on the Crypto Arena floor. Even pounding his open left hand on the floor. Play got stopped momentarily during the first quarter. Multiple trainers and even Lakers teammates immediately attended to him.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-playing-la-warriors-injury-report">James already entered the game as a question mark</a>. Then he appeared to hit his abdomen. He eventually returned to action after the scary moment.</p><h2><b>LeBron James battling injury-riddled 2024-25 with Lakers </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/LeBron-James-signaling-a-play-e1743615534960.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The injury bug hit James this late in the season.</p><p>The perennial NBA All-Star dealt with a recent groin injury. He missed a couple of weeks with the left groin strain. He’s limited to 64 total games for the Lakers.</p><p>James hadn’t scored a point at the time of his collision with Kuminga. He played 10 total minutes while grabbing one rebound and dishing two assists.</p><p>He eventually returned to the bench following the undisclosed injury. Many inside the arena believed James simply got the wind knocked out of him. But he managed to avoid missing the rest of the night.</p><p>Golden State, meanwhile, took a 28-24 lead in the first half. Shooting guard Brandin Podziemski scored nine points to lead the way through the first 18 minutes of play. Kuminga delivered six early points for the Warriors. Steph Curry added four points for GSW early.</p><p>Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler hadn’t scored yet in the second. Both played 12 total minutes before the eight minute mark of the second.</p><p>The traditional Western Conference rivals entered the arena <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/standings" rel="noopener">with massive playoff implications</a>. The Lakers have the No. 3 seed on lock with the regular season nearing its conclusion. Golden State isn’t far behind, though, at fifth and only two games back.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James goes down after taking crushing hit in Lakers vs. Warriors contest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-playing-la-warriors-injury-report');   ga('set', 'title', 'Is LeBron James playing tonight? Lakers vs. Warriors injury report');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LeBron-James-shoots-the-ball-during-Rockets-Lakers-game.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Is LeBron James playing tonight? Lakers vs. Warriors injury report</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T10:00:26-07:00">April 3rd, 10:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T10:04:51-07:00">April 3rd, 10:04am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers will play the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lebron-james-lakers-rockets-injury-report">LeBron James is dealing with an injury</a>. Is the Lakers star playing tonight vs. the Warriors?</p><p>James is battling a left groin strain. The Lakers are currently in third place in the Western Conference standings, but the fifth place Warriors only trail them by two games. Having LeBron on the floor for Thursday’s game will certainly be of the utmost importance.</p><p>Here is everything we know about LeBron James’ injury status for tonight’s game vs. the Warriors.</p><h2><b>LeBron James’ injury status vs. Warriors</b></h2><p>According to the NBA injury report, James is currently <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2025-04-03_12PM.pdf" rel="noopener">listed as probable</a> for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/lakers-warriors-stakes-showdown-western-conference-playoff-picture">Warriors-Lakers crucial clash</a>.</p><p>James is averaging 24.4 points per outing while shooting 51 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from beyond the arc. The future Hall of Famer is also recording per game averages of 8.4 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.</p><p>The 40-year-old is still making a significant impact. LeBron is looking to lead the Lakers to another championship. For now, the focus is on Thursday night’s contest.</p><p>When it comes to the question of if LeBron James is playing tonight vs. the Warriors, the answer is probably.</p><h2><b>Lakers’ injury report</b></h2><p>The Lakers have two players listed on the injury report for Thursday night.</p><ul><li>LeBron James (left groin strain): Probable</li><li>Maxi Kleber (right foot surgery recovery): Out</li></ul><h2><b>Warriors’ injury report</b></h2><p>The Warriors also have two players listed on Thursday night’s injury report.</p><ul><li>Jonathan Kuminga (right pelvic contusion): Questionable</li><li>Gary Payton II (left thumb ligament partial tear): Out</li></ul><p>Thursday night’s game is arguably a must-win for both teams. LeBron James’ final injury status will go a long way toward determining the outcome of the game. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 PM EST in Los Angeles as the Lakers prepare to host the Warriors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Is LeBron James playing tonight? Lakers vs. Warriors injury report

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/tracy-mcgrady-drops-bombshell-assessment-about-lebron-james-1-on-1-skills');   ga('set', 'title', 'Tracy McGrady drops bombshell assessment about LeBron James 1-on-1 skills');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tracy-McGrady-drops-bombshell-assessment-about-LeBron-James-1-on-1-skills.jpg"></figure><h1>Tracy McGrady drops bombshell assessment about LeBron James 1-on-1 skills</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T09:26:44-07:00">April 3rd, 9:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T09:26:44-07:00">April 3rd, 9:26am</time><address><a href="http://designsux.com">Burtland Dixon</a>As an avid enthusiast of entertainment, Burtland Dixon is a passionate individual who revels in the magic of movies, sports, music, and pop culture. Whether it's catching the latest blockbuster, watching the marquee matchup of the week, attending live concerts, or getting immersed in the world of gaming, Burtland finds joy in all forms of entertainment.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/tracy-mcgrady-headlines-nba-2k25-season-6">Tracy McGrady</a> didn’t hold back when asked how LeBron James would fare in a game of one-on-one. While appearing on The Makeshift Podcast, the Hall of Famer and legendary scorer made waves by claiming that the four-time MVP and <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/tracy-mcgrady-lebron-james-would-get-crushed-playing-other-nba-players-1-on-1" rel="noopener">all-time leading scorer might not hold up well</a> when stripped of teammates, per SI.</p><p>“I think he’ll get crushed,” McGrady said, referring to how LeBron would fare against current NBA players in isolation. “He’s been amazing for 22 freaking years… but his game is built for five-on-five.” That’s a staggering statement considering LeBron’s status as either the greatest or second-greatest basketball player ever, depending on who you ask.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“If you put him in one-on-one? I think he’ll (LeBron) get crushed. Yeah, I think he’ll get crushed — amongst guys that are actually in the NBA. And I’m sure LeBron would tell you that. Because his game is naturally built for five-on-five.“<br>– Tracy McGrady</p><p>One of the greatest… <a href="https://t.co/H9T96hchV8">pic.twitter.com/H9T96hchV8</a></p><p>— Jacob (@Jacobtheclipper) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jacobtheclipper/status/1907796280119799958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>McGrady didn’t mince words in defining the difference between star power and isolation ability. He pointed to players like Kobe Bryant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden as true one-on-one savants — guys whose games are tailor-made for the halfcourt duel. In contrast, he sees LeBron’s excellence in facilitating, floor reading, and team execution as less effective when boiled down to just him versus one defender.</p><h2><b>Is LeBron really not built for solo battles?</b></h2><p>There’s a lot to unpack in McGrady’s claim. Yes, LeBron is a gifted passer and thrives within systems that allow his vision and IQ to dominate. But he’s also 6’9”, 250 pounds, fast, strong, and incredibly skilled. He’s been punishing mismatches and carving up defenders since before some current players could walk.</p><p>It’s tough to imagine many NBA athletes blowing past him or shutting him down in isolation. He has a mix of low-post dominance and drive strength that few can handle, even in a game to 11.</p><p>McGrady’s point may hold weight for highlighting pure scorers who thrive in isolation, but to say LeBron would get “crushed”? That’s a spicy take. If anything, it sets the stage for an idea fans would love: a one-on-one showdown at All-Star Weekend.</p><p>Until then, the conversation continues — and Tracy McGrady just made it a lot louder.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Tracy McGrady drops bombshell assessment about LeBron James 1-on-1 skills

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-jarrett-allen-makes-hilarious-admission-trying-like-lebron-james');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Jarrett Allen makes hilarious admission about trying to be like LeBron James');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cavs-center-Jarrett-Allen-31-dunks.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Jarrett Allen makes hilarious admission about trying to be like LeBron James</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T22:39:58-07:00">April 2nd, 10:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T22:39:58-07:00">April 2nd, 10:39pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>A Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, Rex claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jarrett Allen and the Cleveland Cavaliers added to their win total in the 2024-25 NBA regular season by taking down the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, 124-105.  It was their 61st win of the season, tying the second-best total of victories in a season in <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-reveals-2-goals-rest-season-70-win-dreams-fade">Cavs franchise history</a>. The last time the Cavs won at least 61 games in a single NBA calendar year was back in 2009-10 <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-60th-win-accomplishes-feat-not-seen-lebron-james-shaq-duo">when LeBron James was still leading the team</a>.</p><p>And speaking of James, Allen mentioned “The King” during the postgame press conference, when he shared his thoughts on his highlight throwdown late in the fourth quarter of the Knicks game.</p><p>After making a steal, Allen raced downcourt and finished with a thunderous one-handed dunk to expand the Cavs’ lead to 19 points. The former Texas Longhorns star said that he “wanted to look like LeBron” when he tried to go for that slam but admitted that it was far from the elegance of a James throwdown after watching the play’s replay.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I wanted to look like LeBron."</p><p>Jarrett Allen wanted to be like the King with his fastbreak slam tonight 👑🤣 <a href="https://t.co/YttsAwR8HW">pic.twitter.com/YttsAwR8HW</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1907622391364329821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Nevertheless, Allen had a fine performance to help the Cavaliers come away with another victory. He finished with 21 points on a near-perfect 10-for-11 shooting from the floor with eight rebounds, a steal and a block in 32 minutes.</p><p>Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell led the way in scoring for Cleveland, as he came up with 27 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the floor with three 3-pointers, six rebounds and five assists. As a team, the Cavs posted a 53.2 field goal percentage while holding the Knicks to just a 44.4 percent success rate on shots from the floor.</p><p>It was a statement victory for the Cavaliers against New York. That win also put Cleveland on the verge of completing a regular-season sweep of the Knicks. Allen and company have won the first three meetings this campaign with New York and could sweep their Eastern Conference rivals on Apr. 11 at Madison Square Garden.</p><p>The Cavs’ <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CLE/" rel="noopener">all-time record for single-season wins</a> is also within reach of this current iteration of the team. The 2008-09 Cleveland squad holds the record with 66 victories, which means the Cavaliers will have to win all of their remaining games this regular season to set a new franchise record.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Jarrett Allen makes hilarious admission about trying to be like LeBron James

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-reacts-to-anthony-davis-big-night-in-mavericks-hawks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ LeBron James reacts to Anthony Davis’ big night in Mavericks-Hawks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mavericks-Anthony-Davis-reacts-to-rumors-of-LeBron-James-Luka-Doncic-trade-knowledge.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers’ LeBron James reacts to Anthony Davis’ big night in Mavericks-Hawks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T22:38:21-07:00">April 2nd, 10:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T05:27:55-07:00">April 3rd, 5:27am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>To say that the Dallas Mavericks have endured a brutal stretch since trading away Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers at the start of February would be a massive understatement. But on Wednesday night, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-fans-erupt-erupt-anthony-davis-game-winner-buries-hawks">Mavericks fans may have reason to hope once again</a>, as the main piece that they got in the Doncic trade, Anthony Davis, had his best night as a part of the team, hitting the game-winner in their 120-118 win over the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>Davis, who finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks in addition to being the hero for the Mavericks on the night, only recently returned from injury — with many fans and critics advising the 32-year-old star to not return to action in the aftermath of Kyrie Irving’s season-ending injury. But the veteran Mavericks star is a true hooper, <a href="https://x.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1907638228502589618" rel="noopener">much to the delight</a> of his former Lakers running mate, LeBron James.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LeBron on IG —</p><p>Showing respect to AD. ✊🔥 <a href="https://t.co/dGCgbANjZE">pic.twitter.com/dGCgbANjZE</a></p><p>— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1907638228502589618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Even though they are no longer playing for the same team, the bond that James has forged with Davis during their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-adjustments-anthony-davis-luka-doncic">time together on the Lakers</a> will never change. After all, they’ve gone through plenty of battles together, even winning the NBA championship in 2020. This is the kind of bond that distance and time can never threaten.</p><p>The Lakers, of course, are still the undisputed winner of the Doncic-Davis trade, but the Mavericks had a vision of being a team that can overwhelm the opposition with size and strength on the interior, and performances like these from Davis show that there could have been a chance for them to execute that vision if only Irving did not go down with a torn ACL.</p><p>Nevertheless, the Mavericks are still fighting for their play-in lives, and this win over the Hawks goes a long way towards putting them at a safer spot. With a 38-39 record at present, they have 2.5-game cushion for the ninth spot in the West standings with five games left in the season.</p><h2><b>Mavericks’ Anthony Davis is starting to get back on track after Lakers trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Anthony-Davis.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Anthony Davis re-injured his groin on his very first game with the Mavericks, keeping him out for multiple weeks and rubbing even more salt on their wounds after they became the laughingstock of the league in the aftermath of trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers.</p><p>Even after returning, Davis hasn’t been his best self yet, struggling with his shooting efficiency. But <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-klay-thompson-duo-jason-kiddhttps://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-klay-thompson-duo-jason-kidd">his monster effort against the Hawks</a> shows that he is back on track, and the Mavericks could very well make life difficult for the other play-in tournament teams.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers’ LeBron James reacts to Anthony Davis’ big night in Mavericks-Hawks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ncaa-football/georgia-football-news-jalon-walker-diplomatic-approach-michael-jordan-lebron-james-goat-debate');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jalon Walker takes diplomatic approach to Michael Jordan-LeBron James GOAT debate');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jalon-Walker_08e7b6.jpg"><figcaption>© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jalon Walker takes diplomatic approach to Michael Jordan-LeBron James GOAT debate</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T20:43:14-07:00">April 2nd, 8:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T20:43:14-07:00">April 2nd, 8:43pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NCAA Football</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 NFL Draft is right around the corner as it is only a few weeks away, and one player that is going to hear his name called is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/georgia-football-news-jalon-walker-unfortunate-news-nfl-combine">Georgia football linebacker Jalon Walker</a>. Walker had a huge season in 2024 and he is expected to be a first-round draft pick. This is a busy time for him that is filled with interviews and draft prep, but there is always some time to embrace the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan GOAT debate.</p><p>Jalon Walker appeared on the <i>Up &amp; Adams Show </i>recently to participate in an interview, and he was asked about the LeBron James-Michael Jordan GOAT debate. Walker had high praise for both, but he <a href="https://x.com/UpAndAdamsShow/status/1907585125925195825" rel="noopener">wasn’t ready</a> to declare a winner.</p><p>“I had this conversation a couple days ago at dinner,” Walker said on the show. “We were debating about Michael Jordan or LeBron James, who both are incredible athletes, incredible basketball players, but you got to look into the statistics on some things. There was a point across that Jordan is the all-time leading everything in his realm. But you have to look on the other side of the ball. That LeBron is a dominant player and leads to this day and current leader, still active in the NBA, in all these roles. So I’m not going to put out any statement today.”</p><p>There are a lot more people in the younger generations that give the nod to James because of the fact that they grew up watching him. The same goes with older generations and Jordan. Walker grew up watching James, but he still didn’t declare a winner.</p><p>“I am still in my 21-year-old guy, but I have seen LeBron,” Walker continued. “It would have been different if I would have watched Jordan growing up. But I’m like, I was saying, I’m not going to put any statement out because I don’t want any attacks. I don’t want any like, ‘Hey, what? What are you saying?’ I don’t want any hate.”</p><p>There is never a bad time for a fun discussion about two of the best players to ever play the game of basketball. The GOAT debate is one that will go on forever, and it’s hard to change one’s opinion on the matter.</p><p>Jalon Walker wasn’t ready to name his GOAT, but he is ready to make the move from college to the NFL. He impressed a lot of pro teams last season when he finished the year with 61 total tackles and 6.5 sacks. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/georgia-football-news-jalon-walker-above-mykel-william-espn-prospect-ranking">Walker seems poised for</a> a successful career at the next level.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jalon Walker takes diplomatic approach to Michael Jordan-LeBron James GOAT debate

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-message-to-carmelo-anthony-after-hall-of-fame-election');   ga('set', 'title', 'LeBron James’ 5-word message to Carmelo Anthony after Hall of Fame election');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LeBron-James-5-word-message-to-Carmelo-Anthony-after-Hall-of-Fame-election.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>LeBron James’ 5-word message to Carmelo Anthony after Hall of Fame election</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T12:53:42-07:00">April 2nd, 12:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T15:31:00-07:00">April 2nd, 3:31pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James <a href="https://x.com/KingJames/status/1907472641537225047" rel="noopener">congratulated</a> longtime friend and former teammate Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday after Anthony was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025. James posted his message on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing in all caps:</p><p>“CONGRATULATIONS MY BROTHER! PEACE GOD”</p><p>He tagged Anthony in the post and included praising hands emojis and a salute.</p><p>The announcement came after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday afternoon that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-carmelo-anthony-first-ballot-hall-of-fame">Anthony had officially earned induction into the Hall of Fame</a>.</p><p>A 10-time NBA All-Star, Anthony entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft — a class widely regarded as one of the greatest in NBA history. The group also featured James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.</p><h2><b>LeBron James salutes Carmelo Anthony’s Hall of Fame election</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LeBron-James-6-and-forward-Carmelo-Anthony-7-stand-on-the-court.jpg"><figcaption>© Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Over his 19-year NBA career, Anthony made six All-NBA teams and won the 2013 NBA scoring title. He was also a four-time Olympic medalist, including three golds (2008, 2012, 2016) and one bronze (2004). He ranks second on Team USA’s all-time Olympic scoring list, having been surpassed by Kevin Durant during the 2024 Paris Olympics.</p><p>Anthony played 1,260 career games, averaging 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He shot 44.7% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range.</p><p>His NBA journey included stops with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers. His final season came alongside James during the 2021-22 campaign in Los Angeles.</p><p>James and Anthony shared a close bond throughout their respective careers, entering the league together, competing internationally for Team USA, and famously forming part of the league’s iconic “Banana Boat” crew along with Wade and Chris Paul.</p><p>As James honored Anthony’s milestone, the Lakers continued their push toward playoff positioning in a competitive Western Conference.</p><p>Following their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-mission-after-game-sealing-block-beat-rockets">128-124 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday, the Lakers improved to 46-29</a> and sit just half a game behind the Denver Nuggets (47-29) for the No. 3 seed. They trail the second-seeded Rockets (49-27) by 2.5 games with seven games remaining.</p><p>Los Angeles prepares for a critical two-game stretch at home. They will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-explains-austin-reaves-changes-offense">face the Golden State Warriors (44-31) on Thursday night</a> before concluding their three-game homestand against the New Orleans Pelicans (21-54) on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James’ 5-word message to Carmelo Anthony after Hall of Fame election

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-explains-austin-reaves-changes-offense');   ga('set', 'title', 'LeBron James explains how Austin Reaves changes Lakers’ offense');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Lakers-news-LeBron-James-explains-how-Austin-Reaves-changes-LAs-offense.jpg"></figure><h1>LeBron James explains how Austin Reaves changes Lakers’ offense</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T16:12:36-07:00">April 1st, 4:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T16:12:36-07:00">April 1st, 4:12pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With all eyes on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-honest-admission-thriving-luka-doncic-austin-reaves">LeBron James and Luka Doncic</a>, it appears star guard Austin Reaves has fallen to the way side in terms of opposing teams giving him attention. For that reason, James recently explained how Reaves is essentially a game-changer for the Los Angeles Lakers with the playoffs right around the corner.</p><p>In the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast that’s hosted by LeBron James and Steve Nash, James <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1907203050009411788" rel="noopener">revealed just how valuable</a> Reaves is to the Lakers. The 40-year-old forward claims that most teams in the NBA don’t have three key defensive options, which allows Austin Reaves to get open and play at a high level with all of the attention on himself and teammate Luka Doncic.</p><p>“Myself and Luka [Doncic] will have the two best defenders every night. There’s not many teams with a third defender. And that third defender has to guard Austin Reaves. We have the ability to interchange.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Myself and Luka [Doncic] will have the two best defenders every night. There's not many teams with a third defender. And that third defender has to guard Austin Reaves. We have the ability to interchange."</p><p>—LeBron James</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/mindthegamepod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mindthegamepod</a>)<a href="https://t.co/klELMbR1tR">pic.twitter.com/klELMbR1tR</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1907203050009411788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Reaves, who is in the fourth season of his career, is experiencing career highs. His elevated play is giving the Lakers a strong third option behind LeBron James and Luka Doncic, giving the team plenty of options to score at will. Through 67 games played, Reaves is averaging 19.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 36.0% from the three-point line.</p><p>The 26-year-old guard has been involved in trade rumors in the past. However, he seems to be a fantastic fit with James and Doncic. Considering <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-randy-moss-la-full-court-pass-success">how well the Lakers are playing</a> right now, there’s reason to believe the front office elects to use Reaves as a building block for the future after LeBron James eventually retires.</p><p>Los Angeles currently owns the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and is on a two-game winning streak. With just seven games remaining on the schedule, the Lakers appear to be a lock for the playoffs. The goal now is to remain one of the Top 6 seeds in the West to avoid participating in the play-in tournament.</p><p>We’ll see LeBron James and the Lakers take the court again on Thursday night when they face off against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. A victory will extend the winning streak to three and possibly give L.A. a three-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James explains how Austin Reaves changes Lakers’ offense

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/10-greatest-nba-players-to-never-defeat-lebron-james-in-a-playoff-series-ranked');   ga('set', 'title', '10 greatest NBA players to never defeat LeBron James in a playoff series, ranked');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/10-greatest-NBA-players-to-never-defeat-LeBron-James-in-a-playoff-series-ranked.jpg"></figure><h1>10 greatest NBA players to never defeat LeBron James in a playoff series, ranked</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T14:58:34-07:00">April 1st, 2:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T14:58:34-07:00">April 1st, 2:58pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/spencersee10" rel="facebook">Spencer See</a>Spencer See is a part-time writer at ClutchPoints focusing on the NBA, evergreen content and celebrity lifestyle. He is also a lifelong fan of LeBron James. In his free time, he either goes fishing or watches basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LeBron James is arguably the best basketball player in the world, having collected plenty of milestones and accolades throughout his NBA career. James is also considered to be one of the most successful players in the playoffs, having earned four NBA championships and Finals MVPs.</p><p>The King also holds the record for the most points and victories in postseason play. Here are the 10 greatest NBA players to never defeat LeBron James in a playoff series, ranked.</p><p>Check out the gallery.</p><h2><b>1. Derrick Rose</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Derrick-Rose-makes-a-speech.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At his peak, Derrick Rose rivaled LeBron James in the MVP race. In the process, Rose took NBA MVP honors in 2011, becoming the youngest in NBA history. However, Rose never actually cracked the code against James’ teams, with the latter holding a 12-4 record over Rose in postseason play. James’ Cavs and Heat teams seemed to have a number over Rose’s Bulls.</p><h2><b>2. Jimmy Butler</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jimmy-Butler-facilitates-the-offense.jpg"><figcaption>Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Wherever Jimmy Butler played, LeBron James was always there to deny his teams in the playoffs. As early as his days with the Bulls, James’ teams always prevailed in the playoffs, the last of which saw Butler <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/lakers-news-lebron-james-la-dominate-heat-to-take-2020-nba-title">fail to lead the Miami Heat past James’ Los Angeles Lakers</a> inside the NBA Bubble during the 2019-20 season. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-jimmy-butler-heat-trade">Butler joining the Golden State Warriors</a> in the Western Conference, another collision course could happen in the near future.</p><h2><b>3. James Harden</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/James-Harden-looks-on-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>From his days as a sixth man for the Oklahoma City Thunder to becoming a star for the Houston Rockets, James Harden always had a hard time getting past James’ teams. The Beard had a disappointing Finals debut in their series against James’ Heat. They met again in the playoffs eight years later during the Western Conference Semifinals when James led the Lakers over Harden’s Rockets in five games.</p><h2><b>4. Russell Westbrook</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Russell-Westbrook-brings-down-the-ball.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Coincidentally, like Harden, Russell Westbrook was on similar teams that James defeated. Westbrook was a rising star for the Thunder back in 2012, as they witnessed James capture his first NBA title. In the Western Conference Semifinals, James played a major role in showing Westbrook and the Rockets the door. In the process, Westbrook’s tenure in Houston soon <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30439266/sources-houston-rockets-washington-wizards-agree-russell-westbrook-john-wall-deal" rel="noopener">came to an end</a>.</p><h2><b>5. DeMar DeRozan</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DeMar-DeRozan-lays-up-the-shot.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>DeMar DeRozan’s Toronto Raptors just couldn’t get past LeBron James’ teams in the East. Thus, this paved the way for the birth of “LeBronto.” For three straight years from 2016 to 2018, James’ Cavaliers reasserted their mastery over DeRozan and the Raptors. For some reason, The King kicks into a higher gear whenever he faced DeRozan’s Raptors in the postseason.</p><h2><b>6. Carmelo Anthony</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Carmelo-Anthony-serves-as-a-spectator.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James are great friends off the court. However, they also engaged in one of the most iconic rivalries during their peak. Melo and James first faced off in postseason play in the 2012 NBA Playoffs, which saw James’ Heat take care of business in five games. Eight years later, they met in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs, as the Lakers spearheaded by James finished off Melo’s Blazers in the same number of games.</p><h2><b>7. Jayson Tatum</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jayson-Tatum-takes-a-shot.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Back in the 2018 NBA Playoffs, it looked like Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics were marching to the 2018 NBA Finals. However, James emerged as a major roadblock. The King found a way to kick into a gear like no other, putting up 12 points in the fourth quarter of the deciding Game 7 to earn his eighth straight trip to the NBA Finals.</p><h2><b>8. Jaylen Brown</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jaylen-Brown-in-action.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>On that same Boston Celtics team was Jaylen Brown. Even when Brown can already call himself an NBA champion, to this day, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP <a href="https://talksport.com/basketball/1857780/lebron-james-jaylen-brown-boston-celtics-cleveland-cavaliers-nba/" rel="noopener">continues to feel the emotions</a> during James’ herculean Game 7 at the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals. The King finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists to delay Brown’s first Finals appearance.</p><h2><b>9. Bam Adebayo</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Bam-Adebayo-penetrates-the-defense.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Smith-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Bam Adebayo was one of the breakout stars for the Miami Heat during the 2019-20 season inside the NBA Bubble. Adebayo’s rise was a welcome sight for Miami, as the team made it all the way to the NBA Finals as the fifth seed. However, Adebayo and the Heat eventually ran out of gas against James and the Los Angeles Lakers in six games at the championship stage.</p><h2><b>10. Shaquille O’Neal</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Shaquille-O-Neal-watches-a-game.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At the 2011 NBA Playoffs, James was forced to exorcise his demons against the team that haunted him the most during his first Cavs tenure, the Boston Celtics. With the Miami Heat, James had plenty of help this time against a Celtics squad reinforced by Shaquille O’Neal. It’s worth noting that O’Neal had just played with James in Cleveland a season prior. Nonetheless, James’ Heat were successful in getting past their Eastern Conference rivals en route to James’ first NBA Finals appearance with Miami.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

10 greatest NBA players to never defeat LeBron James in a playoff series, ranked

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-randy-moss-la-full-court-pass-success');   ga('set', 'title', 'LeBron James credits Randy Moss for Lakers full court pass success');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Lakers-news-LeBron-James-credits-Randy-Moss-with-Lakers-full-court-pass-success.jpg"></figure><h1>LeBron James credits Randy Moss for Lakers full court pass success</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T14:49:18-07:00">April 1st, 2:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T14:49:18-07:00">April 1st, 2:49pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers leader LeBron James knows a thing or two about football. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lebron-james-high-school-football">James was so good in high school</a> that his talent would drive his coaches up a wall.</p><p>In fact, some believe <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/10-nba-players-who-couldve-played-in-the-nfl">James could have had a shot</a> at the NFL.</p><p>So when he evokes a football comparison in his analysis of the Lakers, it comes from a depth of superb knowledge.</p><p>During an appearance on the Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash, James <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EshJkgzYkV4&amp;t=3137s" rel="noopener">harkened back</a> to his high school football days and compared the Lakers’ success at full court passing to Randy Moss.</p><p>He said that Moss would not show his hands too soon to the defending cornerback upon receiving a pass.</p><p>“Being a former receiver in high school kinda seeing the ball come and not showing my hand to the cornerback,” James said. “I learned that a lot from Randy Moss when I was growing up. He said a lot of times he would run his routes and he wouldn’t raise his hand up too soon because if the defender is trailing him, if he raised his hand up too soon then the defender would know the ball is coming.</p><p>“He would wait till the last moment to put his hand up and now the corner-back wouldn’t see it. I learned that from Randy Moss when I played in high school. I try to do that in the game as well.”</p><p>James uses that same technique with the Lakers and especially Luka Doncic. When Doncic grabs the rebound, James makes his way to the other end of the floor. He keeps his hands down until the last moment so that the opposing team doesn’t know the ball is coming.</p><p>It’s a strategy James has used before.</p><h2><b>LeBron James was the Randy Moss of Cleveland  </b></h2><p>James put those Randy Moss skills to use when he was playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He says it was Kevin Love who would make the successful full court passes.</p><p>Love was much like Doncic in the sense that he could score, rebound and shoot the three.</p><p>Due to him being 6 foot 8, Love would be able to grab boards easily at the other end and wait for the right moment to lob the ball over to James, who in turn would wait at the right moment to snatch the ball without the defense knowing what lies ahead.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James credits Randy Moss for Lakers full court pass success

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-adjustments-anthony-davis-luka-doncic');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ LeBron James dishes on mid-season adjustments from Anthony Davis to Luka Doncic');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Lakers-news-LeBron-James-dishes-on-mid-season-adjustments-from-Anthony-Davis-to-Luka-Doncic.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers’ LeBron James dishes on mid-season adjustments from Anthony Davis to Luka Doncic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T13:45:00-07:00">April 1st, 1:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T13:45:00-07:00">April 1st, 1:45pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Since coming to Los Angeles, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-reveals-how-luka-doncic-inspires-next-generation">Lakers guard Luka Doncic has received the utmost praise</a> from LeBron James for his contributions. The Lakers are surging with a 46-29 record and are on the verge of locking up a top-five seed in the playoffs.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are hanging on by a thread with a 37-39 record since the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade-makes-nba-history">Lakers acquired Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis</a> in the blockbuster trade.</p><p>In the latest episode of the podcast <i>Mind the Game</i>, James <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EshJkgzYkV4&amp;t=1696s" rel="noopener">discusses the adjustments</a> both the Lakers and the Mavericks have made since the trade. He explains that when Davis was with the Lakers, the goal was to get him the ball as many times as possible and translate that to production on defense.</p><p>“You have to kind of rearrange how we’re playing,” James said. “So now Dallas goes from being heavy pick and roll to four out. One Big come set it for Luka, you get a roller, you get spreads. You know, when Luka sits down, Kyrie gets the ball, now he does his thing. Now you know their team kind of changes, and our team dynamic changes too from we need AD to touch the ball every time down. We have to have AD engaged in order for us to be able to win because when AD is engaged offensively, it’s going to work, and then defensively, it makes us even more incredible.”</p><p>The rule applies to Doncic but takes on a unique dimension.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><h2><b>LeBron James compares Luka Doncic to Barry Bonds</b></h2><p>Elsewhere in the conversation with Nash, James went on to compare Doncic to former MLB slugger Barry Bonds. He argues that a concerted effort needs to be made to get the ball to Doncic so he can utilize his obvious strength.</p><p>“So now we have to change our whole thing now,” James said. “Completely different because Luka needs the ball, he has to have the ball. It makes no sense of bringing in Barry Bonds if we’re not going to have him bat cleanup.”</p><p>The idea being that Doncic is a superstar player capable of changing the team dynamic. When he gets the ball, he rises to the occasion. The same was true for Bonds at the plate.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers’ LeBron James dishes on mid-season adjustments from Anthony Davis to Luka Doncic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-honest-admission-thriving-luka-doncic-austin-reaves');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ LeBron James drops honest admission on thriving off Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LeBron-James-drops-honest-admission-on-thriving-off-Luka-Doncic-Austin-Reaves.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers’ LeBron James drops honest admission on thriving off Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T13:16:03-07:00">April 1st, 1:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T13:16:03-07:00">April 1st, 1:16pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ever since the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-luka-doncic-trade-nba-pissed-confused-month-later">Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic</a>, it has been a dream come true for LeBron James and Austin Reaves. With the latter on the ascension this season, adding the Slovenian superstar only sweetens the deal.</p><p>On the Mind The Game Podcast, James and Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash talked about the two Lakers players. In particular, James elaborated on how <a href="https://youtu.be/EshJkgzYkV4?t=1998" rel="noopener">he’s been able to play off of them</a> effortlessly.</p><p>“When I know that it’s for the betterment of the team and for ultimately for us to reach our rim, I’m able to adapt to whatever position that needs to be done,” James said.</p><p>“In this case understanding how great Luka is, how on the rise Austin is, I can do things that affect the game still that benefit our team.”</p><p>Reaves is having a career year. Although the numbers are up significantly, he’s taken a major step as a playmaker. While the Lakers didn’t have a de facto point guard, Reaves embraced the role.</p><h2><b>Lakers’ LeBron James loves Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves</b></h2><p>Having two guards that can initiate the offense is a rarity nowadays. Combine that with James’s basketball IQ and it is a lethal trio. The funny thing though, is that Doncic and Reaves are nowhere near James’s athleticism.</p><p>Both players rely on their craftiness around the basket, and with the ball. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-austin-reaves-eye-opening-take-lebron-james-luka-doncic-trust">Reaves feels that the trust between him, Doncic, and James is at a high</a>.</p><p>Still, the Lakers are taking advantage of the midseason move. They sit fourth in a highly competitive Western Conference at 46-29. Going back to the all-time leading scorer in NBA history though. This isn’t the first time he’s raved about his teammates.</p><p>For instance, James said that Doncic will inspire the next generation of basketball players and people. At the same time, Reaves could slowly make his way into that category.</p><p>Meanwhile, co-host Steve Nash chimed in and analyzed what James is going through, from a coaches perspective.</p><p>There has been examples in our league where great players playing with other great players like to, your turn, my turn,” Nash said.</p><p>“Immediately, you were bought into ‘I’m not standing over here in the parking lot waiting for Luka to do his thing.’ I’m going to eat off of him and create for him.”</p><p>With the Lakers <a href="http://www.playoffstatus.com/nba/lakersstandings.html" rel="noopener">trying to solidify their playoff spot</a>, the trust between the three stars is worth noting. That alone can take them far into the Western Conference playoffs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.7	7.7	8.8	0.6	0.9

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.7	7.7	8.8	0.6	0.9

LeBron James news

LeBron
James news