The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a brutal early first-round exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was a tough and unexpected loss to a young Timberwolves team led by superstar guard Anthony Edwards.
Edwards proved to be one of the best, if not the best, players in the series. Even as he shared a court with future Hall of Famer LeBron James and five-time First-team All-NBA member Luka Doncic, Edwards was spectacular in the series.
After the Lakers' Game 5 loss, the media caught James encouraging Edwards, telling him, "It's the next step now."
In James' latest podcast episode, Mind The Game, James elaborated on his message to the 23-year-old superstar.
"For me to just tell him to take the next step, it doesn't always mean, OK, well, Western Conference finals, now you gotta be in the Finals," James said to Nash. "It's like, take the next step. You as a person. You as a player. Continue to get better and better and better. Your time's going to come. I can't decide when that's going to be. Sometimes we have no control over when that next step (happens), as far as going to the Finals and winning. We (don't always) have the opportunity to do that. But we do have control over making the next step in our own individual journey.
"That's what it was about. I love seeing it. I loved seeing Jayson Tatum take that next step. Now I see Ant taking that next step. It's a proud feeling for me as a player whose been in the league for so long."
James realizes that Edwards is an impressive player and arguably the face of the league. The two-time All-Star was phenomenal in the first round, averaging 26.8 points per game, 8.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 42 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.
There were stretches in the five-game series where Edwards outshined James, particularly in the clutch. The rising star has firmly established himself and looks poised to be a dominant presence in the league for years to come.
The Georgia native already took his team to the Western Conference Finals last year, and with his trajectory, he's aiming for much more as his career unfolds.
Meanwhile, James' legendary run is nearing its twilight—he turns 41 this December.
More Lakers news: LA Could Move Rui Hachimura to Land Center
Lakers' LeBron James Fires Back at Criticism After Playoff Loss
Austin Reaves Contract Situation Could Force Lakers to Trade Him
For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
Comments
Post a Comment