LeBron James on Lakers Pushing Pace in 16th Season: 'I Can Play Any Style'

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has played 44,298 regular-season minutes and 10,049 playoff minutes in his illustrious career, but he says he will still be able to play at a fast pace during his first year in Purple and Gold.

"It don't matter for me," James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. "I can play any style. I can run with the best of them. I can jump with the best of them. I can slow down with the best of them. I can play any game. Whatever the game endures, I'm able to adapt to however the game is going. So, even with the miles that I've had in my career, I can still—I can do pretty much anything."

Head coach Luke Walton made it clear the Lakers plan on playing with pace: "If the ball is going through the net, we have a specific player we want to take it out and everyone goes. If it's a deflection or rebound, and you're the designated player, then if you get it, push it yourself, and if you were the point guard, you get out."

Playing at a fast pace is nothing new for the Lakers, who ranked third in the league in pace during the 2017-18 season, per NBA.com.

By comparison, James' Cleveland Cavaliers finished 12th, although they were 15th out of 16 teams in the playoffs as the four-time MVP slowed the pace, dominated the ball and limited possessions for the opposition while also preserving his body some as he advanced to his eighth straight NBA Finals.

As incredible as James is, it is fair to wonder about his workload as he enters his 16th NBA season and prepares to turn 34 years old in December.

Still, McMenamin noted James was third in the league with 343 fast-break points during the regular season and converted on 71 percent of his shots in transition.

"If he gets the loose ball and pushes himself, he's a problem to deal with, from his playmaking to his ability to get to the rim," Walton said of James. "If he doesn't get it and he's open on the throw-ahead [pass] where he's at half-court, if he gets it coming downhill, then you're impossible to stop."

That type of head-turning efficiency from James on the break is the type of automatic offense the Lakers will likely need in a daunting Western Conference if they are going to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

James' ability to not only finish in transition but also create for others by drawing defenders his way figures to help a young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart grow accustomed to playing alongside such a talented individual force.