The Golden State Warriors got one over on LeBron James both statistically and psychologically in the Dubs’ 123-116 win over the Lakers on Thursday.
Not only did the victory inch them closer to a higher seed in the Western Conference standings — and remind the rest of the league just how dangerous Golden State can be when everyone’s clicking — it also just seemed to annoy the hell out of the 40-year-old basketball star. When a reporter asked James about his assessment of the Warriors with Jimmy Butler, all the Lakers player could do was shake his head before replying.
I’ve been a part of them making big acquisitions to change their dynamic of their team before,” James said, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ve had to go against them when they added Kevin Durant. Jimmy Butler is great. He adds a toughness to them. He adds a championship DNA type of guy.
“It’s always the same, they always figure it out,” he continued, pursing his lips. “They always add somebody that makes them dynamic.
Pushing this man of all people to an answer like that is especially funny given James’ history of bringing in “dynamic” stars to play alongside him throughout his career. (Never mind that he gave this answer while wearing purple overalls.)
It was clear an answer like this was on its way. James was pretty openly frustrated throughout all 48 minutes of Thursday’s game. His exasperation grew as the Warriors finally got some calls go their way against Los Angeles, and players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski played some of their best basketball this season. One play early in the fourth quarter really summed things up: Butler swished a corner three with James in his face. When the shot went in, the broadcast caught an exasperated James dropping his shoulders, turning around and slowly making his way back on offense.
Now the big question is whether the Warriors will be able to do this when the stakes are higher. If the season ended today, the Dubs would face the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. It’ll be much tougher to annoy James this way four times in a series, especially since he’s now gotten a chance to see how this revamped Golden State team plays up close. If the Warriors can keep playing at the level they did on Thursday, they’ll be more than up to the task.
