Los Angeles Lakers 20-time All-Star combo forward LeBron James said on X that he doesn’t quite understand his team’s travel to Milwaukee to play the Bucks in a single preseason game that’s scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT Thursday night.
That’s something out of the ordinary – if preseason games are to be away from a team’s market, at least two or more will be played. That fact this is one-and-done is what’s surprising.
The real question, of course, is why the pre-season exists at all anymore, especially given that most pundits around the game believe the bloated 82-game regular season is already far too long as it is presently constituted. Most of the older NBA stars are strategically rested these days, keeping them healthy and ready to go for the postseason. It’s because James is the only oldest active player in the league and has more mileage on his body than any other player in NBA history, but he is not resting and doesn’t have minute restrictions.
James’ 1,779 combined career regular season and playoff games are fewer than just two Hall of Fame players: former Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who suited up for 1,797 bouts in a 20-year career, and former Boston Celtics nemesis Robert Parish, who played 1,795 games across 21 seasons. James will eclipse both those totals sooner rather than later.
As Khobi Price of The Orange County Register notes, all six of the Lakers’ preseason bouts this year will be played away from the team’s home floor, Crypto.com Arena, which is getting a major facelift ahead of the start of the 2024-25 regular season.
Just which All-Stars will even be available for a totally meaningless exhibition contest Thursday remains to be seen. James and fellow Los Angeles All-Star frontcourt staple Anthony Davis were rested for L.A.’s first preseason contest, a 124-107 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last Friday, but played (sparingly) during the club’s 118-114 Sunday loss to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker’s Phoenix Suns. Those two matchups were held in Palm Desert’s Acrisure Arena, and technically qualify as “home” games even though L.A. For both, Crypto.com Arena was hours away.
The Bucks, meanwhile, will again be without former All-Star small forward Khris Middleton, though the team appears hopeful he will suit up in time for the end of Milwaukee’s postseason, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Per Owczarski Doc Rivers revealed earlier this week that the Bucks’ best player, All-NBA power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, is expected to suit up for his preseason debut against longtime rival James.
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