LeBron James did not receive a pleasant birthday gift from the Detroit Pistons as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 128-106 on his 41st birthday.
Before the Lakers took on the Pistons, James had nothing but positive things to say about the Pistons and the team’s recent success.
“Cade has been amazing big fella Jalen Duren and the rest of the guys they’ve been playing good basketball it’s that Detroit feeling again,” James told reporters.
James has had many battles with the Pistons throughout his career, and for him to give Detroit a compliment like that, is a good sign for the Pistons organization.
LeBron James and the Pistons Have History Together
James is no stranger to the Pistons. Going back to his days in the Eastern Conference, the four-time NBA champ has had memorable moments against the Pistons.
When James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers in his early years, the Pistons were one of the top teams in the east. Detroit was the one team that James had to get past in order to make it to the NBA Finals.
During the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, it was a match up between the top-seeded Pistons and the Cavaliers, who were the No. 2 team in the east. Detroit jumped up to a 2-0 series lead and things weren’t looking good for Cleveland.
But James was not going to go down without a fight. Cleveland went on to win the next two games to tie the series up at two a piece. James put together a memorable performance in the next game. It was a must win game for Cleveland as they went on the road and pulled out a win.
James finished with a game-high 48 points and also had nine rebounds and seven assists. He scored the last 25 points for his team and scored the game-winning layup in overtime. The Pistons had no answer for the 22-year-old. James led his team to a series win and a trip to the NBA Finals.
Pistons Becoming a Contender in the East
The Pistons are now one of the top teams in their conference. Last year was the first time the team made the playoffs since 2019. Even though they lost to the New York Knicks in the first round, Detroit showed a lot of promise for years to come.
This season, Detroit is showing the league that last year was no fluke and they have what it takes to make a deep run. With a superstar like Cade Cunningham leading the way, Detroit has a good mix of veterans and young players that play well together.
Through 33 games, Detroit is tied at the tenth spot for points per game averaging 119.1. They are second in rebounds at 46.6 and third in steals at 10.1. Detroit has shown that they can dominate on both sides of the court and their team depth has been a highlight so far.
The Pistons have a strong chance to win their division for the first time since 2008 and like James said, “It’s that Detroit feeling again.”
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