LeBron James. Year 23.

Don’t take it for granted.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday Kenneth Faried, Marcus Banks, and Andre Ingram ! 🎉

Game Recaps

Lakers rout Jazz 140-125 in LeBron’s season debut

Simply put, the NBA is better when LeBron James is playing. 🤝

After missing the first 14 games of the season, King James made his season debut Tuesday night. The Lakers certainly held down the fort while James was out, winning 10 of their first 14 games out of the gate. Fortunately for Lakers fans, Bron’s return only seemed to push the Lakeshow into a higher gear.

LeBron (11 PTS, 12 AST, 29 MIN) was diming up Utah in his debut. If you squinted your eyes, you may have thought it was Magic Johnson perfectly setting his teammates up to score:

Oh yeah, the Lakers have Luka Doncić, too. Luka’s 37 points and 10 assists just feels like an average Tuesday for him by now, while DeAndre Ayton (20 PTS, 14 REB) and Austin Reaves (26 PTS, 7/11 FG) brought even more offensive firepower to the table in the win.

Lauri Markkanen (31 PTS) and Keyonte George (33 PTS) have been the two go-to guys for Utah all season long, and that was no different tonight. But unfortunately for these two studs, it was all LeBron, Luka, and the Lakeshow in this one… 😎

76ers overcome 10-point second half deficit, defeat Clippers 110-108 in Paul George’s season debut

Getting a win in your season debut is sweet, but for Paul George, doing so by beating your former team is even sweeter. 😎

The Nine-time All-Star took the court for his first game back since March, putting up nine points and seven rebounds in just 21 minutes. As it’s been all season so far, it was Tyrese Maxey who led Philly’s rally to victory late in the second half, dropping 39 points to go along with six dimes, including an array of tough finishes and threes from the parking lot.

I mean, how could he not ball-out with his family in town? ♥️

For the shorthanded Clippers (4-10), Monday’s loss was their eighth in their last nine games. The absence of Kawhi Leonard is starting to add up, and now with Derrick Jones Jr reportedly out for the next few weeks, James Harden (28 PTS) is going to have to continue to carry the team on his back. Paging 2019 Harden… 👀

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• Motor City Magic continues! The Pistons remain scorching hot, notching their 11th straight victory in their 120-112 win over the Hawks on Tuesday. Cade Cunningham (25 PTS, 10 AST) continues to lead the charge for the upstart Pistons, and Jalen Duren (24 PTS, 8 REB) was hooping on his birthday! From 26 straight losses two seasons ago to now being firmly at the top of the East, what a rebuild story we’re witnessing from the Detroit Pistons. 🔥

• No Wemby, Harper, or Castle? No problem. The shorthanded Spurs stay undefeated at home with a 111-101 win over the Grizzlies Tuesday night. De’Aaron Fox (26 PTS) looks more comfortable by the minute since returning from injury, and Harrison Barnes (23 PTS, 9/14 FG) keeps up his ‘Reliable Vet’ reputation for the Spurs in the clutch this season.

• Look out, Eastern Conference. The Raptors are healthy, and looking scary. Toronto picked up their eighth W in nine games in their 110-108 win over the Hornets on Monday. The core pieces for the Raps got it done in this one, with Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett (16 PTS each) making huge plays in crunch-time, while Brandon Ingram (27 PTS) made sure to not waste this nasty fourth quarter poster in a losing effort…

• Bounce-Back Bulls! After a crushing double-OT loss in Utah less than 24 hours prior, Chicago picked up a much needed win on the road over the Nuggets, 130-127. Josh Giddey (21 PTS, 14 REB, 6 AST) was in his bag all night, and the Bulls were able to withstand Jamal Murray’s 18-point fourth quarter to give Denver their first home loss this season.

Wayback Wednesday

Before there was Wemby and Tim Duncan, there was another all-time great big-man who built a hall-of-fame legacy while donning a Spurs uniform…

Let’s take a look back at one of the best centers to ever step foot on the hardwood- David Robinson! 🙌

Do you know how talented you have to be to not only be the first overall pick in the NBA draft, but for a team to draft you first overall knowing you won’t play a single minute in the league for two more years?

Well, David Robinson was THAT talented. San Antonio snagged Robinson first in the 1987 draft, but due to Robinson’s commitment to the U.S. Navy, he wasn’t allowed to play in the NBA until 1989. Needless to say, he was absolutely worth the wait.

In his rookie season, ‘The Admiral’ played like he had two seasons to make up for. He ran away with the 1989-90 Rookie of the Year award, made the All-NBA third team, and finished sixth in MVP voting. Might I remind you, he accomplished all of this as a ROOKIE. 😱

The season accolades became routine for D-Rob year after year. The pinnacle of his individual career came in the ‘94-’95 season, where he took home the MVP award (27.6 PTS, 10.8 REB, 3.2 BLK), the first Spur in franchise history to win the award.

Oh, and there’s the time he dropped 71 points in a single game…

The Spurs made some deep playoff runs in the mid-90s during Robinson’s peak, but were never able to fully get over the hump and win it all. The arrival of Tim Duncan in 1997 changed that, quickly. Only two seasons into the Duncan-Robinson duo, the Spurs finally climbed the mountaintop, winning the 1999 NBA Championship! 🏆

Following the ‘99 run, Robinson entered the twilight of his career. He was able to successfully ride off into the sunset with yet another ring in 2002-03, though Duncan was the guy for this title run.

Talk about a true passing of the torch. 🤝

Three in the Key

Signing Off

That’s all for today, Enjoyers! We appreciate you making us a part of your day. This week, take some time to try something new. It’s easy to listen to the same songs, eat the same foods, or go to the same places. Switching things up every now and then makes life feel more fresh!

See you on Friday!

Bobby Kasmire