He knows the most: How LeBron sets the tone for

Bright lights, big stage, same LeBron.

Unmoved by postseason stress, celebrity LeBron James said he doesn’t plan to change his preparation forward of the Lakers’ playoff opener against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Approaching his record-tying nineteenth postseason look, James has motive to imagine in his well-established routine.

“Nothing changes for me from the regular season to the postseason,” James said, “besides just making even more heightened focus.”

The constant method that guided him through 23 common seasons places James in place to star in another high-stakes recreation as the Lakers (53-29) chase the franchise’s 18th NBA championship. James will command nearly the complete highlight with guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves still sidelined.

The 41-year-old, 22-time All-Star has never had a downside with being a main man.

“I think a lot of the great players, the best players, what they’re addicted to is being the showman,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, referencing Stephen Curry’s fourth-quarter heroics that pushed the Golden State Warriors over the Clippers in a thrilling play-in recreation Wednesday night time. “And being on the stage and giving a performance. …

“One of the reasons they’re great and they’re able to be the showman so consistently is because they recognize [that] to be the showman, I have to do all the things necessary to then go on stage and perform at my best. And that’s the commitment with LeBron that I’ve talked about so often.”

The stage is set for a star-studded first-round sequence with James and Houston’s Kevin Durant. The Rockets’ celebrity rose to fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring checklist this season. He and James, the league’s all-time main scorer, have 76,037 mixed regular-season factors, more than the relaxation of the Lakers’ roster mixed (57,341).

“He’s the head of the snake,” James said of Durant. “But it’s the Houston Rockets and they have some damned good players on that team.”

Durant has the assist of two-time NBA All-Star middle Alperen Sengun, who is averaging 20.4 factors, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per recreation. James leads the Lakers alone. They’re without Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (indirect) indefinitely.

Since Doncic and Reaves have been injured, James assumed the major function in the Lakers’ offense and has delivered 25.5 factors, 11 assists and 6.8 rebounds per recreation. Battling the emotional toll of Doncic’s and Reaves’ accidents, James set the tone for the Lakers’ strong end to the common season with his vocal management and strong play, Redick said. His teammates are falling in line.

“He’s been in the playoffs I don’t know how many times,” Lakers guard Bronny James said. “So he’s won series, won Finals, I think we just need to have our mind open and ears open and listen to whatever he says because he knows the most.”

After years of competing against each other in the NBA and with each other on the worldwide stage, Durant said earlier this season that the Miami Heat model of James was the hardest participant he’s ever had to guard. James said every model of Durant looks like an not possible matchup.

The 37-year-old scores in bunches and does it effectively, Redick said. Durant hasn’t shot worse than 50% from the subject in a season since 2011-12. Now in his 18th season, Durant performed the second-most complete minutes of any participant this season, trailing only 23-year-old teammate Amen Thompson.

“He’s a guard in a big man’s body,” Lakers guard Marcus Smart said. “I’m 6-3 and he’s 7-foot so he has that advantage and that’s what makes it tough, because he’ll shoot right over top of you it seems. But playing him the years that I have played him — and last month — it definitely gives you insight of what to expect.”

Durant averaged 18 factors, 5.5 rebounds and three assists in two losses to the Lakers in March. He shot 55.6% from the subject but had 11 complete turnovers. The Lakers, who often double-teamed Durant to take the ball out of his palms, compelled 36 turnovers in the two wins.

The Lakers count on the same defensive stress from the Rockets, who are ranked sixth defensively. Guards Reed Sheppard and Thompson both rank in the top 10 in the league in complete steals with 122 and 119, respectively.

Smart and guard Luke Kennard have taken bigger ball-handling duties along with James to offset the loss of Doncic and Reaves. Bronny James is in line for rotation minutes in the Lakers’ shorthanded backcourt. The 21-year-old guard has performed in 10 consecutive video games, the longest stretch of his younger NBA profession, averaging 6.6 factors, two assists and a steal with seven-for-17 taking pictures from three-point vary in the 5 video games since Doncic and Reaves have been injured.

Getting to share the court with his son, whether or not in regular-season video games, apply or now the postseason, is “the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career,” the elder James said.

With his future unknown past this season, James pledged all season to keep in the second. The Lakers hope to make this postseason one last.

“The moment is all we have,” James said. “At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”