Reporting from Charlotte, N.C. — At halftime of the NBA All-Star game, LeBron James did a little negotiating on behalf of the rest of Team LeBron.
As Team LeBron coach Mike Malone recalls it, James asked whether the team could go to the court at halftime to watch rapper J. Cole perform instead of having a traditional halftime meeting. With Team LeBron trailing by 13 points, Malone said yes, with a condition for the whole team.
“If you promise to get your [butt] back in transition,” Malone told the Lakers forward.
James relayed the message and they left to watch the end of the concert. They didn’t fix what ailed them right away, but by the end of the third quarter, Team LeBron had taken control of the game. They beat Team Giannis 178-164 and James finished with 19 points, four assists, eight rebounds and two blocked shots.
Now the real work begins.
“Looking forward to the second half of the season,” James said. “Looking forward to seeing what we can do to get back in this playoff race. That’s my only mind-set. That’s the only thing that’s going to happen in my mental space for these next two months, pretty much on how I can get this team playing the type of level of basketball we were playing before my injury.”
The Lakers were fourth in the Western Conference before James suffered a strained groin Dec. 25, that kept him out for 18 games, 17 in a row. Since then, the Lakers fell to 10th in the conference and have only 25 games left to try to reach the playoffs.
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Kevin Durant of Team LeBron and Stephen Curry of Team Giannis have different reactions to a play during the NBA All-Star game.
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Kevin Durant is awarded the NBA All-Star game MVP trophy after Team LeBron’s 178-164 win over Team Giannis.
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Team captain LeBron James drives down the lane between Blake Griffin, left, and Kemba Walker of Team Giannis during the first half of the NBA All-Star game.
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Magic Johnson speaks with fans on the court during the second half of the NBA All-Star game.
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Miami star Dwyane Wade reacts to a play during the NBA All-Star game.
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Team captain Giannis Antetokounmpo throws down a reverse dunk during the first half of the NBA All-Star game.
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LeBron James reacts to a play during the first quarter of the NBA All-Star game.
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Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns of Team LeBron throws down a dunk over opposing team captain Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks.
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Heat guard Dwyane Wade of Team LeBron follows through on a three-point shot during the first half of the NBA All-Star game.
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Warriors forward Kevin Durant of Team LeBron grabs a rebound during the second half of the NBA All-Star game. Durant was selected most valuable player of the game.
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Rapper J. Cole performs at halftime of the NBA All-Star game.
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Warriors forward Kevin Durant of Team LeBron checks rival team captain Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks during the first half of the NBA All-Star game.
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Warriors guard Stephen Curry of Team Gainnis is all smiles as he catches his breath during a break in play at the NBA All-Star game.
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Lakers forward LeBron James and All-Star game teammate James Harden of the Rockets relax during a break in the action at the NBA All-Star game on Sunday.
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Rapper Meek Mill performs before the NBA All-Star gameon Sunday.
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo hangs on the rim after leaping Shaquille O’Neal and dunking elbow deep on the rim.
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Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo is congratulated after a dunk by teammate Russell Westbrook.
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Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins grabs the backboard while soaring for a dunk.
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New York Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. elevates to the rim for a dunk.
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Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges attempts a dunk after passing the ball through his legs.
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Brooklyn’s Joe Harris holds the trophy after winning the three-point contest.
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Warriors guard Stephen Curry lines up a shot during the three-point contest.
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Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard reaches for the next basketball he will shoot during the three-point contest.
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Celtics forward Jayson Tatum celebrates after winning the skills competition. (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)
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Lakers Kyle Kuzma congratulates Mavericks forward Luka Doncic after losing in the first round of the skills competition. (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)
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TV personality Guy Fierii and rapper Fat Joe share a laugh during the skills competition. (Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)
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Nuggets center Nikola Jokic approaches the obstacle portion of the skills competition course. (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)
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Director Spike Lee and rapper 2 Chainz watch the skills competition. (Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)
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Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, center, speaks with Dominique Wilkins, left, as they attend NBA All-Star Saturday Night along with Bill Russell. (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)
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Hawks guard Trae Young acknowledges the crowd during the skills competition. (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)
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Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma holds aloft the MVP trophy for the Rising Stars game after he scored a game-high 35 points.
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Clippers guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tries to steal the ball from Knicks forward Kevin Knox during the Rising Stars game.
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Dallas Maverics owner Mark Cuban, center, sits with newly acquired forward Kristaps Porzingis during the Rising Stars game.
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Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma elevates for a dunk during the Rising Stars game.
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Raptors forward OG Anunoby takes flight for a between-the-legs dunk during the Rising Stars game.
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WNBA star A’ja Wilson gets past Bad Bunny (94) for a layup during the second half of the celebrity game.
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Home team coach Dawn Staley, left, speaks with assistant coach Lisa Boyer, middle, and A’ja Wilson (22) during the second half of the celebrity game.
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Actor JB Smoove fights for rebounding position with NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen during the celebrity game.
(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images) Having finished their pre-All-Star portion of the season on a negative note with losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks, the Lakers needed the break to reset. James got away briefly between their game in Atlanta on Tuesday and Saturday’s media obligations in Charlotte.
Heading into an All-Star weekend in the city where Michael Jordan owns the basketball team, James was asked about his ambition to own an NBA team.
“It would have to be the right fit,” James said. “It’d have to be the right city. It’d have to be the right situation. It’s not like it’s a dream of mine. It’s more of an aspiration. See if it happens. If it don’t, I won’t be disappointed in anything I’ve done off the floor. We’ll see what happens. I got a lot more game to play. I got a lot. A ton more years to play this game and suit up and be in a Lakers uniform.”
As he often does in games that count, James took a few minutes to warm up. But in the second quarter, James scored eight points, three of them dunks in the five minutes before halftime.
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“It’s an All-Star game but he’s getting loose and trying to put on a show,” said Team LeBron guard Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. “He has a lot of responsibilities as far as fandom on his shoulders and driving the game to new heights. To see him be a leader and take pride in that is motivating for us to be the best we can be.”
James rushed to the postgame podium. The faster he got there, the faster he could leave and take advantage of his dwindling time before the next phase of the season.
“You put me on the floor, I love to compete,” James said. “I’m a competitor, no matter what it is. I was competing to see if I can get to this table first. Did anybody come here before me?”
Nobody did.
“See what I’m talking about?” James said. “See you all the second half of the season.”
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Follow Tania Ganguli on Twitter @taniaganguli
