LeBron James was emotional after his triple-double against the Cleveland Cavaliers: "The game is such a beautiful thing"
LeBron James with another monster performance in an important win against the Cavaliers
© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
On a Monday night where LeBron James once again returned home to Clevland, he put on an incredible performance by notching a triple-double with 38 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds in 41 minutes.
James, who now leads the league in scoring per game, averaging 30.0 points, was doing everything on the court — from finding his wide-open teammates to scoring at his own will and even posterizing his good old friend, Kevin Love.
"To be completely honest, I hate that had to be him...I hope I'm still invited to the wedding...I wish I could take those two points back. K Love, I love you. I wish I could take those two points back. We'd still win the game by 9," James said post-game, referring to his dunk on Love.
"I'm all out. I don't have anymore. No words," Frank Vogel said post-game when he was asked about James' phenomenal night.
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James also addressed all the Lakers' criticism after Monday's game this season. The four-time champion said he embraces the challenge of where he and his team are, as they try to make it to the play-in tournament and do damage come playoff time. When asked how he handles all the negativity, James said he could care less about what people outside of the team have to say about the Lakers.
"I'm having a blast playing the game of basketball. I'm literally having the time of my life right now. The game is such a beautiful thing," James said.
The King admitted that the losses had frustrated him a lot, but he leaves all those emotions as soon as he exits the arena. James mentioned that he does not allow the Lakers' struggles to get to him because he uses his free time to drink wine and tequila and spend time with his wife and kids by playing Madden NFL 22.
On returning home to Clevland
James also said that he knows his remaining opportunities to play in Clevland (whether for the Cavs or on the opposing end) are very limited, so he wanted to do everything to put on a show on Monday.
"I know that my games playing here are now very limited in my career. Hopefully, I'm healthy enough to wear a uniform and go out and play. Play at an effective level and play in front of these fans because they've given me so much for 11 years when I was here for my first stint and half on my second stint. To be able to be in front of my family and friends who drove 40 minutes from my hometown Akron to see me play, means a lot to me," James said.
His words post-game were far different from all the subtle ones he shared during the All-Star weekend when he was dropping breadcrumbs about possibly returning to Clevland to close out his career.
Still, no one knows what James wants to do in the future, but if there's one thing he's proved on Monday, it's that the superstar can still be the best player in the league.
