LeBron James started at a new position for the first time in over 1,300 games and dominated
- LeBron James started a game at center for the first time in his career on Tuesday.
- James had 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists as the Lakers won.
In his 1,332nd career start, LeBron James played center.
The Los Angeles Lakers made the adjustment to deal with injuries and a lack of production from their big men; Anthony Davis is out with a sprained ankle, Dwight Howard is returning from the COVID-19 list, and DeAndre Jordan has been ineffective this season.
So James — the 6-foot-9, 250-pound superstar who turns 37 on December 31 — made the start at the five for the first time in his career.
James turned in 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists to notch his third triple-double of the season and help the Lakers beat the Houston Rockets to snap a five-game losing streak.
"I was a skinny, lanky kid growing up, but I was never one of the biggest guys or in the center position," James told reporters. "I've always played the wing or kind of handled the ball."
Though James has the size to play center in today's NBA, it was nonetheless an incredible adjustment for a player who often plays lead ball-handler. Just two years ago, the Lakers made James a full-time point guard for the first time in his career, and he responded by averaging a career-high and league-high 10.2 assists per game.
James has already played center this season. According to Basketball-Reference, 5% of James minutes this season have come at the position. He has played the five in other small lineups throughout his career, but he has never started a game as the clear big man for his team.
"I've taken pride over the course of my career in being able to play five positions," James told reporters afterward. "Or at least know all five positions. Knowing the commands. Knowing if I'm guarding a big, what is the coverage. If I'm guarding a small, what's the coverage. And always trying to keep myself in a position where I can be anywhere on the floor. So, tonight called for our team and called for me to start at center, and I just tried to be in a hell of a lot of plays."
Offensively, playing in ultra-small lineups helped the Lakers spread the floor and get easy baskets.
Just looks at the open space inside the paint:
James helped ice the game in the final minute by acting as a screener in a pick-and-roll-style action with Russell Westbrook (whereas James usually handles the ball in such plays).
James also reached some personal milestones on Tuesday. He became the first player 35 years or older to score 30 or more points in five straight games, according to ESPN. He also became the youngest player to score over 36,000 career points — joining Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to ever reach that number.
In the month of December, James is averaging 29.2 points per game on 56% shooting from the field.
After the game, Lakers coach David Fizdale (acting as head coach as Frank Vogel is sidelined in the health and safety protocols) said he had to drive home to players just how impressive it was for James to play center.
"I just told the team ... 'I don't think you guys realize what this guy just did,'" Fizdale said. "'He just played the five for four quarters and dominated at the position and played it while playing point guard, while playing [forward] ... this guy is unbelievable."
Fizdale added: "I can't help it, man. We all are, we're very lucky as basketball people to get to watch what we're watching right now out of this man and it's just beautiful."