LeBron James' 'Unbelievable' Longevity Praised by Fans in Lakers' OT Loss to Celtics

In a renewal of the classic rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, LeBron James was the brightest star on the court despite his team's 125-121 overtime loss.

The 19-time All-Star finished with a game-high 41 points on 15-of-30 shooting from the field. He made five-three pointers for the third time in the last seven games.

The four non-James starters in the Lakers lineup Saturday combined to score 33 points. Anthony Davis, who came off the bench for the second consecutive game, finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.

We ran out of superlatives to describe what James has done throughout his career long ago, but as one fan on Twitter put it, to keep playing at this level after 20 years is nothing short of "unbelievable."

Since his 38th birthday on Dec. 30, James has scored at least 40 points five times in 13 starts.

The Celtics were clearly aware of what James was doing as a scorer late in the fourth quarter when they were up 100-99. He was double-teamed but managed to find Patrick Beverley for a wide-open three to take the lead.

After two Malcolm Brogdon free throws to tie the game, Beverley made the biggest play of the game at that point with an absurd putback dunk off a Davis missed three-pointer that even left James with a stunned look on his face.

James and the Lakers had a valid argument that he should have been able to attempt two free throws at the end of regulation. Jayson Tatum hit his arm on a layup attempt with time winding down, but the officials didn't blow the whistle.

Even though the final score wasn't what James wanted, there was no shortage of praise for what he did on this night and continues to do at an age when most athletes are heading into retirement.

There were some positives to take away from this game for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura was solid off the bench with six points, four rebounds and a plus-six plus-minus rating in 24 minutes.

Davis showed some rust, going just 6-of-15 from the field, but his presence still commands so much attention from opposing defenses. He should be back to his All-Star form with more game action.

James can elevate the Lakers floor, as he did Saturday with a near-victory over the Celtics, but he is going to need more help from his supporting cast if they are going to be a playoff contender.

Things won't get much easier for the Lakers on Monday when they play the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.