Even LeBron James’ presence does not seem to be enough to get the Lakers back on track. With expectations set on how rookie coach JJ Redick would handle the pre-season, LA fans would’ve certainly been left disappointed after the debut game turned out to be a loss against the Wolves, 107-124. With the matchup lacking the availability of the NBA All-Time Lead Scorer and Anthony Davis, however, it would’ve been assumed that things would be better against the Phoenix Suns. In the end, LeBron’s 19 and AD’s 17 couldn’t get the team over the top. As a result, the 22-season veteran was quick to make his observations about the fuelled roster.

Engaging in a Q&A session after the Suns game, the 39-year-old went on to state, “You guys know my energy level. I have a lot more energy than a lot of the young guys. I boost their energy up if you want me to be completely honest.” Yikes!

Anyone who may call the Lakers star’s remarks ‘absurd’ only needs to rewatch the game to see where he comes from. Despite playing almost double the minutes of LeBron, Austin Reaves only added 9 points to the overall score! The two rookies, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, could only accumulate 7 and 0 points to their name, respectively.

Now compare that to LeBron James, who not only added 19 points through his 8-12 field goals and 2-3 three-pointers but also displayed bouts of athleticism, causing people to question whether he was really 39. During the first quarter, LeBron James’ first pre-season action saw him slashing the ball away from Devin Booker’s hand as part of a chase-down block.

Later, whilst being defended by Ryan Dunn and Kevin Durant, he dashed swiftly to the end of the court and leaped in such a manner to deliver the field goal that he ended up falling and sliding on the court. To solely do all this in your 22nd season, and with limited minutes, showed that the younger Lakers roster is not even close to elite-level basketball.

Two decades’ worth of NBA experience has certainly bestowed some level of wisdom upon LeBron James. Furthermore, it would be remiss to not mention that the player comes from an entirely different era of basketball, where stars like Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, etc stood as his biggest competition.

As a result, the 39-year-old has seldom shied away from highlighting the difference between the youth of today and that of his time, and handing out advice to the former group of hoopers whenever he can.

LeBron James asks younger players to not focus too much on ‘materialistic’ things: “Just pour it all into the game”

Along with the energy level and experience, one other thing that might differentiate the younger players from LeBron is the focus, or rather the lack of it. 2 years before he was even drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaquille O’Neal stated in his book, ‘Shaq Talks Back’, that the kids of today had become materialistic. Along with a lack of focus, it also brought a hurry to join the NBA as soon as possible. Two decades later, with the situation not having improved, it was up to LeBron to echo the Lakers legend’s viewpoint.

Back in February, after a win against the New York Knicks, the 39-year-old was asked to share his thoughts for the younger hoopers. “Just pour it all into the game – if you want to be great and if you want to be someone that will be never forgotten in the league, the cars and the jewelry and all the other dumb s–t that don’t matter means absolutely nothing.”

Along with this, LeBron James also added, “I see a lot of these young kids get so unfocused about stuff that is so material. They can lose their focus. Worry about the game and everything will take care of itself.”

Some people would consider it pretty rich for this advice to come from LeBron James. After all, he is currently the only active billionaire player in the NBA and was the first to reach the pinnacle even before Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.

Whether LeBron James chased money or not, he has an impeccable track record that shows he wasn’t distracted from his main goal. Therefore, if young players aspire to reach his level, then they need to target his on-court stats, not his net worth.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.