Lakers' LeBron James Talks 'Dope' In-Season Tournament Experience After Making Final

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers continued to look like a juggernaut during the NBA In-Season Tournament after their 133-89 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the semifinal on Thursday.

Speaking to ESPN's Dave McMenamin after the victory, James described the experience of his 21st season and the in-season tournament as "dope" so far.

"If you decide to retire, or whatever the case may be, you're not a part of it anymore, so it wouldn't be me leaving it on the table because I would have never had the table set," James said. "But I'm happy that I'm here; this is a pretty cool moment, and let's see if we can capitalize on it. It's been good. It's been dope."

If you only look at the results from the In-Season Tournament, the Lakers would be the most dominant team in the NBA. They are 6-0 with an average margin of victory of 20.2 points.

In their other 17 games, the Lakers are 8-9 with an average scoring margin of minus-5.5 points.

Any questions about how serious players or teams were going to take the in-season tournament have been answered with how James has gotten up for these games. Arguably the most-accomplished player in NBA history played 40 minutes in Monday's quarterfinal win over the Phoenix Suns.

James has only played 40 minutes in two other games this season. He's taken control in each of the past two games, continuing to defy what anyone thought possible for a 38-year-old in his 21st season.

In the victory over the Suns, James scored or assisted on each of Los Angeles' first 19 points in the fourth quarter. He also had five steals, his most in a single game since Jan. 22, 2020.

James had one of the most efficient games any player in the NBA has had all season against the Pelicans. He scored 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting with eight assists and only had to play 23 minutes because the result was so lopsided.

The next test for James and the Lakers will be against the Indiana Pacers in the in-season tournament final on Saturday. The Pacers, who currently have the best offensive rating in NBA history, play at a pace that few teams have been able to keep up.

Los Angeles is an older team that wants to methodically wear its opponent down, but Thursday was at least an indication the team can score at an extreme rate when James is playing at his best.