Boston Celtics' Robert Williams says team-mates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are using last year's close call as motivation to win the NBA Championship this time around.
Tatum and Brown were scintillating as the Celtics cruised to an emphatic 139-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
The duo became the first team-mates in franchise history to each make seven three-pointers in the same game, doing so in just three quarters, while Tatum's plus-42 heading into halftime saw him better Kevin Garnett's Celtics record for a single-half plus/minus.
Tatum finished with a game-leading 31 points as well as nine rebounds and four assists, while Brown had 26 points, three assists and three rebounds. It was the eighth time this campaign that the pair have each accumulated 25 points or more.
Williams added a useful 16 points and nine rebounds from just 19 minutes of action, and he said Tatum and Brown are "carrying the team" as they look to make amends for last year's NBA Finals defeat to the Golden State Warriors.
"They take all criticism. They take all the 'he said, she said'," Williams said.
"But I love how they've been responding. Feel like they're hungry, really. You know what I'm saying? Still p***** about last year."
Only Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks (1,538) has more points on the board than Tatum's 1,493 this season, while the latter's 31.1 points per game average is a career-best.
Tatum, for his part, feels the sustained level of performance from Brown and himself has been overdue as he noted "it's not done" until the Celtics clinch their first championship since 2008.
He told reporters: "It's been a long time coming. We've had our good times and not-so-good times, but I think those are just growing pains.
"We were just 19-year-old kids that came into the league hungry and trying to help our team win. We've had to learn how to play in this league, learn how to play with each other, learn how to lead the team.
"I feel like we're still a long way ultimately from where exactly we want to be, but we've made amazing strides from the beginning.
"You can tell we were ready to go from the jump. We've still got a long way to go. It's not done until we win a championship."
It was the first time in franchise history that Boston, who top the Eastern Conference with a league-best 37-15 record, outscored their opponent by at least 30 points in the first quarter, in which they scored 46 points before going on to record their biggest victory of the season.
Nets star Kyrie Irving, whose 20 points was a team-high for Brooklyn, felt there was little his side could do as they slumped to their heaviest loss since a 44-point defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2014.
"It's clear as day that they want to win the championship, and they're not wasting any time in the regular season," Irving said. "Tonight I felt like we were just one of those teams in the way, and you know, we just can't be one of those teams in the way.
"We've got to be one of those teams that stands up to them and at least shows them that we're going to be competition for them moving forward, which I believe we are. But we just didn't show it."
The Brooklyn Nets fell to their worst loss in nine years after a hugely one-sided first quarter teed the Boston Celtics up for a 139-96 win.
The Nets had lost their previous two games against the Celtics this year, but this was by some margin the worst of the lot.
A 43-point loss was the Nets' heaviest since losing by 44 against the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2014.
Brooklyn never gave themselves a chance after being outscored by 30 in the first quarter, shooting one of 12 from the field to start as shot after shot went in at the other end.
The Nets' 23.1 per cent three-point shooting over the game stood in stark contrast to the Celtics' 48.1 per cent as Jayson Tatum (31 points) and Jaylen Brown (26 points) made seven threes apiece.
The pair were the first Boston team-mates to each make seven threes in the same game in franchise history, and the huge lead even allowed them to sit the fourth quarter.
Former Celtic Kyrie Irving was one of seven from beyond the arc on his way to 20 points and a plus/minus of minus-31.
No let-up from Lillard
Another big performance from Damian Lillard saw Portland rally to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-112.
Lillard scored 42 points, including a stunning seven-point play early in the third quarter, along with his 10 assists and eight rebounds.
The point guard has now topped 30 points in five straight games as the Blazers have gone 4-1 and 11 of 13 games going back to early January.
Swift revenge for Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers had suffered a shock loss in their previous game at home to the Orlando Magic two days earlier, but a rematch went according to plan.
Joel Embiid, the bright spot in that loss, was again influential with 28 points and 11 rebounds in a 105-94 win.
Markelle Fultz, Embiid's former Sixers team-mate, had celebrated victory on his first return to Philadelphia and again tried to lift the Magic in this loss, finishing with a team-high 18 points on seven-of-11 shooting.
Hall of Fame NFL executive Bobby Beathard has died at the age of 86.
Beathard spent more than three decades as an executive in the league, enjoying 10-year stints as general manager in both Washington and San Diego.
Beathard contributed to four Super Bowl successes overall, overseeing Washington's victories at Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XXII as GM, as well as helping the Miami Dolphins to two triumphs during a spell as director of player personnel.
The 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee died aged 86 on Monday as a result of complications arising from Alzheimer's disease.
A statement from the Washington Commanders read: "Bobby was a man of extraordinary class and integrity and was the architect behind the greatest teams in this organisation's history.
"He cared deeply about everyone he worked with and always put the team first. Bobby is rightfully enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Washington Ring of Fame and will go down as one of the greatest executives in NFL history."
Beathard's grandson, quarterback C.J. Beathard, played in four games for the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2022 season, having entered the league with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017.
Philadelphia Eagles reserve offensive linesman Josh Sills has been indicted on rape and kidnapping charges from an alleged 2019 incident in Ohio, authorities said on Wednesday.
Sills engaged in alleged sexual activity that was not consensual and held a victim against her will in December 2019, Ohio attorney general Dave Yost of Guernsey County said in a news release.
The case, which was immediately reported and investigated, was presented to the grand jury on Tuesday and is being prosecuted by the attorney general's office.
Sills, an undrafted free agent who has played just once this season, was ordered to appear in court in Ohio on February 16, four days after the Eagles' Super Bowl LVII clash against the Kansas City Chiefs.
"Sills may not participate in practices and games or travel with the team while on the Commissioner Exempt List," the NFL said in a statement.
"The matter will be reviewed under the NFL's personal conduct policy."
The Eagles added in a statement: "The organisation is aware of the legal matter involving Josh Sills.
"We have been in communication with the league office and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time."
Sills, who played for West Virginia and Oklahoma State, was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in April.
It was a bad day for seeds at the Lyon Open, with Petra Martic and Mayar Sherif both crashing out in the round of 16 in France.
Fourth seed Martic made a good start against American opponent Alycia Parks on Wednesday, only to lose 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-2.
Sixth seed Sherif was more convincingly beaten as she fell to Czech teenager Linda Noskova 6-3 6-2.
Noskova will face Camila Osorio in the quarter-finals after the Colombian came out on top in a tight clash with Jule Niemeier 7-6 (7-5) 7-5
In the two remaining first-round matches, Jasmine Paolini defeated Rebeka Masarova 6-3 6-2, while Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck will face top seed Caroline Garcia in the last 16 after beating Tamara Korpatsch 6-2 6-4.
At the Thailand Open, it was not much better for seeded players as Anna Kalinskaya and Linda Fruhvirtova both exited on Wednesday.
Fourth seed Kalinskaya was overwhelmed 6-0 in the opening set against Lesia Tsurenko, only to win a tie-break in the second.
The unseeded Ukrainian ultimately won out, though, sealing a 6-0 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 victory to reach the quarter-finals.
Eighth seed Fruhvirtova also managed to level after falling a set behind, and also could not find the win as the 17-year-old was beaten by Tamara Zidansek 6-3 4-6 6-4.
The Slovenian will face Zhu Lin in the last eight after her straight-sets win over Jang Su-jeong, but there was one win for a seed as Xinyu Wang (seventh seed) beat Mirjam Bjorklund 6-3 6-3.
Kyle Shanahan has not yet decided which of Brock Purdy or Trey Lance will be the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback moving forward – but it will certainly be one of them.
Purdy was one of the surprise stars of this 2022 NFL season, coming to the fore in his rookie year having been the final pick in the draft.
He led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, only to sustain an elbow injury against the Philadelphia Eagles that significantly hindered San Francisco in a one-sided loss.
Purdy only got his opportunity after Lance, selected third overall in 2021, and backup Jimmy Garoppolo were both injured.
When Purdy's own backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion against the Eagles, the luckless 49ers had lost four QBs, leaving Purdy to play out the rest of the game without throwing the ball.
Coach Shanahan confirmed on Wednesday there was unlikely to be a return in 2023 for free agent Garoppolo, and the 49ers do not see the need for an alternative veteran starter.
But where that leaves Purdy and Lance remains unclear. Both men are injured with the aim of returning before next season; Purdy tore elbow ligaments, while Lance broke his ankle.
"I know we have two starters on our team right now that I believe we can win with," Shanahan said. "So, when you have that situation, you're not that eager to go looking around."
Purdy and Lance, speaking earlier in the week, each described their excitement to return to fitness and "compete".
Lance added to reporters: "I'm sure it will be a whole story again this year for you guys."
Wednesday's game between the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards has been postponed due to weather-related travel issues.
The Pistons have been unable to get back to Detroit after Monday's defeat at the Dallas Mavericks, with an ice storm leading to several flights out of Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport being cancelled in recent days.
A weather warning will remain in effect until at least Thursday, with ice also affecting roads.
The Pistons said in a statement: "We will provide further information on the new date and time once it is available."
Detroit sit bottom of the Eastern Conference with a record of 13-39, while the ninth-placed Wizards are on a six-game win streak, currently 24-26 overall for the season.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Thursday's game between the Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans is also in doubt due to the weather conditions.
Mick Schumacher has been named as McLaren's reserve driver for 2023 after a deal was struck with Mercedes.
The 23-year-old, son of Formula One great Michael Schumacher, lost his seat at Haas following the 2022 season and was subsequently released from Ferrari's young driver programme.
Schumacher signed as Mercedes' third driver, behind Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, but will now deputise for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri at McLaren in the event of either being unable to race.
Those opportunities would still be presented should either Hamilton or Russell have issues this season, though there is now a greater chance of Schumacher making an appearance on the grid.
In two seasons at Haas, Schumacher scored points on two occasions from 43 races and was replaced by compatriot Nico Hulkenberg for the 2023 campaign.
As pointed out by McLaren, representing the team brings the Schumacher name full circle as team principal Andrea Stella worked alongside Mick's father as performance engineer.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have paid tribute to quarterback Tom Brady following his retirement after 23 years in the NFL.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner announced his retirement from the sport on Wednesday, bringing an end to a three-year spell in Tampa Bay.
His first year with the franchise resulted in Brady's final Super Bowl triumph and only the team's second all-time, which came after years of dominance with the New England Patriots.
The Buccaneers' Glazer owners issued a statement thanking Brady for his contributions, which read: "Tom's impact on our franchise these past three years has been immense and we are appreciative of the time we had with him here in Tampa Bay.
"He set an exceptional standard that elevated our entire organisation to new heights and created some of the most iconic moments in our history.
"Tom's impact will be felt within our community for many years to come and we will forever be grateful for those unforgettable memories that he provided during these final seasons of his legendary career.
"We wish him the best in this next chapter of life and are confident he will find similar success in his future endeavours."
Head coach Todd Bowles, who was defensive coordinator for the first two years of Brady's time in Tampa Bay, said: "I have always had the utmost respect for Tom Brady as a football player, as a winner and as a person.
"It wasn't until he joined us three years ago that I was able to truly appreciate him as a team-mate. Even before I became head coach, we communicated often and had a strong relationship built on mutual respect and a desire to win.
"That connection only grew over this past season as we fought to get the most out of our football team. I greatly appreciate the leadership he provided and I'm thankful for our time together."
General Manager Jason Licht, who brought Brady to the Buccaneers and has held his role since 2014, feels that the 45-year-old's impact will continue to be felt over the course of the coming years.
"Tom's legacy is unmatched in the history of this game," Licht said. "All the Super Bowl titles and statistical records speak for themselves, but the impact he had on so many people through the years is what I appreciate the most.
"His imprint on this organisation helped take us to the mountaintop. We will certainly miss him as our quarterback, but I will also miss him as a leader and friend.
"Our entire organisation is indebted to him for what he provided us over the past three years. We won't ever forget the wins or the accolades and his influence will be felt for years to come."
Patrick Mahomes, Ryan Jensen and Conor McGregor are among those paying tribute to Tom Brady after the NFL veteran announced his retirement.
One year to the date after he first announced he was hanging up his cleats, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has confirmed he is quitting "for good" after previously walking back his decision.
Across a career stretching 23 years, two teams, seven Super Bowls and five MVP awards, the 45-year-old has earned a reputation as one of the sport's all-time greats.
His announcement has sparked an outpouring of affection and respect from his peers, with fellow quarterback Mahomes leading the tributes.
The Kansas City Chiefs man posted three goat emojis to Twitter, in reference to the acronym GOAT, which stands for greatest of all time.
Brady's Tampa Bay team-mate Jensen, who won Super Bowl LV alongside him, penned a heartfelt message after he helped him through injury last season.
"Thanks for pushing me every day this season, mentally and physically, to get back on the field," he wrote.
"I'm glad I was able to take the field with you one last time! Enjoy retirement, don't dog me too much in the booth. Love ya man!"
Praise for Brady was not limited to American football, with MMA veteran McGregor praising the player's Irish roots.
Former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter also offered his congratulations on "an unbelievable career", adding: "It was fun to watch!"
Brady spent the majority of his career with the New England Patriots, taking the team to six Super Bowl successes between 2000 and 2019.
He moved to the Buccaneers for the 2020 season, and inspired them to a surprise championship in his first campaign in Florida.
At the end of his career, Brady ranks first for a host of statistical categories.including most passing yards (89,214), regular season touchdowns (649) and playoff touchdowns (88).
J.J. Watt says there is "no question" that Tom Brady is the "greatest of all time".
Brady retired for a second time on Wednesday at the age of 45.
A year on from announcing a retirement that lasted only 40 days, Brady said he has now called time on his playing days "for good".
Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, announced his own retirement in December, having spent two seasons at the Arizona Cardinals and 10 years with the Houston Texans.
And he welcomed seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady to the "newly retired group".
"Greatest of All Time. No question, no debate," Watt tweeted.
"It's been an honour and a privilege.
"PS – The newly retired group meets on the golf course every morning at 10am. Drinks are on the new guy, so bring your wallet."
Tom Brady has announced he is retiring from the NFL and says this time it is "for good".
Brady spent 23 seasons at the very top of the game but announced his retirement on Wednesday.
The 45-year-old previously called time on his illustrious career a year ago, on February 1 2022, only to announce 40 days later that he was making a comeback.
But after one final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the legendary quarterback has said his playing days are over.
"I'll get to the point right away. I'm retiring, for good," he said in a video shared on his official social media channels.
"I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured I'd just press record [and] let you guys know first.
"I won't be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year.
"Thank you guys so much to every single one of you for supporting me.
"My family, my friends, my team-mates, my competitors, I could go on forever, there's too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn't change a thing. Love you all."
Brady bows out with seven Super Bowl wins to his name, while he was named Super Bowl MVP on five occasions and the NFL's MVP three times, in 2007, 2010 and 2017.
He spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the New England Patriots, before joining Tampa Bay for the 2020 season.
Brady's status as one of the greatest of all time was already assured, but he offered a reminder of his talents by guiding the Bucs to their first Super Bowl success since 2003 in 2021.
Only two QBs – Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes, who has taken the Kansas City Chiefs to another Super Bowl – threw for more yards than Brady (4,694) in the 2022 season, with the veteran tied eighth in the NFL for passing touchdowns (25).
Tampa Bay won the NFC South but lost to 31-14 to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs on January 16.
Brady's 649 passing TDs is a league record, way clear of Drew Brees in second place with 571, while his yards total of 89,214 is also the best of any quarterback in history.
Only four QBs have racked up more games than Brady's 335; Morten Andersen (382), Adam Vinatieri (365), Gary Anderson (353) and Jeff Feagles (352).
A good Six Nations run is not imperative for England and Steve Borthwick, with Chris Robshaw suggesting it will have no bearing on their World Cup fortunes.
Former Leicester boss Borthwick will take charge of the national team for the first time since succeeding Eddie Jones in this weekend's opener with Scotland.
It marks the start of a five-match run that will serve as England's only competitive preparation ahead of September's showpiece tournament in France.
But former captain Robshaw does not feel the team need to ace their Six Nations campaign in order to bolster their prospects later this year.
"It is important, but it is not the be all and end all," Robshaw told Stats Perform. "The World Cup is a separate tournament.
"Of course you want to win, and you want to play well now, but you've still got another four or five months before that.
"I think when South Africa won it back in 2007, they were pretty awful in their build-up.
"You want to be confident going in, but it's not everything."
England head into the Six Nations as underdogs, with France and Ireland the leading favourites to take the title in March.
Robshaw feels there is still a successful campaign to be had, however, pointing to the growth and experience they will develop alongside Borthwick.
"They need to hit the ground running against Scotland," he added. "First and foremost, they need to do that.
"From an output point of view, if they could win [against] Scotland and Italy, and then nick one of the Ireland or France games, I think that will be viewed as a very successful campaign.
"This is a growing squad. It is a new group, but I think it's a great combination of a team [with] huge excitement, experience and a well-balanced coaching staff."
Tom Brady has announced he is retiring from the NFL and says this time it is "for good".
Bobby Gray scored 45 points as Horizon successfully defended its title after thrashing Storm by 113-89 in the final of the Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball Winter League on Sunday at the National Arena in Kingston.
Meanwhile, Waves copped third place by delivering a similar thrashing to the Rivers who ended the competition without a victory from their eight games.
The final was competitive right up to two minutes before the end of the first quarter when Horizon went on a 10-2 run to open up a 12-point lead.
After that, it was basically one-way traffic as Horizon increased their lead in each subsequent quarter leading 59-47 and 83-68, before emphatically retaining their title.
Gray was named MVP but he was supported by Asaad Woods and Rasheed Maynard Woods who scored 18 and 17 points, respectively.
Da'Rell Dominek scored 30 points and Jayrn Johnson 22 for the Storm, but could have done with a big game from their best player Brandon BDot Armstrong, who scored only six points in what was his worst game of the tournament.
"(I) feel pretty elated tonight. We had done it in the summer and this is the winter league and we are able to pull off another championship again,” said Horizon head coach Cleon Morgan.
“We came out tonight looked a little bit smoother even though we started off a little sloppy but regardless of that we picked up back the pace and we maintained the lead all the way till the end of the game."
Storm’s head coach, Oneil Brown, said his team did not play to win.
"Actually, a lot of us struggled. I think the guard play; Horizon had better guard play than us tonight,” he said.
“Their guards outscored us and you can see the score at the end. I am disappointed in my team. If it wasn't for Da'Rell we'd by down by 40 and the game would be long over but it has been a good season, ups and down and we looking forward for next year."
In the playoff for third, Waves came prepared to close out the championship with a win after narrowly missing out on a place in the final.
They dominated Rivers in every quarter and category - three-pointers, blocks, free throws and defense. They led 30-12, 52-33, 82-67 before closing out the victory 110-86.
Lushane Wilson scored 27 points and Cameron Burhannon 26 points for Waves while Ricky Shuford had a game-high 35 points and the dependable Anthony Ottleym 14, for Rivers.
"It was a good game but it was one of the toughest games of the season for us mentally. I am really proud of the guys because I was worried,” said Waves coach Rohan Robinson afterwards.
“They said they wanted to finish it off strong, they’re not going out like losers. They are looking forward again to the next tournament in the summer."
After leading Rivers to yet another disappointing loss, Ludlow Barker hopes to get another chance at coaching in the league.
"I think if we going to have the rosters and we can select some more of the players then. If we can choose the kind of team we need then we will get a chance but if you have to play with those you are given then you have to work with it," he said.
League owner Wayne Dawkins was pleased with the tournament stating that the league was here to stay.
"The level of talent we were able to attract down here was extremely high,” he said.
“Our coaching staff did a phenomenal job, our table staff and everybody else, because we really have to get that down in order to be able to scale and grow this thing and so that I was very pleased with."
Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open despite playing with a three-centimetre hamstring tear, according to tournament chief Craig Tiley, who paid tribute to the Serbian's resolve and drive.
Having missed last year's opening grand slam due to being deported for breaching Australia's border rules relating to his COVID-19 vaccination status, Djokovic returned in January and beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final to claim a record-tying 22nd men's singles major on Sunday.
The feat, which drew him level with Rafael Nadal, was made all the more remarkable by an apparent hamstring problem that hampered the 35-year-old throughout the tournament.
Some critics suggested the extent of Djokovic's injury was exaggerated, but Tiley defended him.
"A lot of the challenges around Novak is that he gets a bad rap," he told SEN Sportsday. "But at the end of the day, I don't think anyone can question his athleticism.
"This guy, he had a three-centimetre tear. [The scans and] the doctors are going to tell you the truth. There was a lot of speculation about whether it was true or not.
"It's hard to believe what they can do with those kinds of injuries. He's remarkable, to deal with it extremely professionally."
Ten of Djokovic's 22 grand slam titles have come in Melbourne alone, outlining his impressive dominance at the event.
Tiley does not see the Serbian ever being overhauled when it comes to his impact there, adding: "He's so focused on everything he does, with every single minute of the day. That's what he eats, what he drinks, when he does it, how he does it.
"There's no breakdown or mental breakdown in anything that he does. He's been through a lot and to win 10 Australian Opens, I don't think that’s ever going to be repeated.
"Over the last 15 years – he tells me it's 14 years because he missed last year – it's such a remarkable achievement.
"He'll hold a significant place in the history of the Australian Open."
Khris Middleton is unconcerned by his bench role after his best game of 2023 during the Milwaukee Bucks' win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
The small forward posted 18 points, three rebounds and three assists to help his side pull away in the third quarter en route to a 124-115 victory.
Having struggled with soreness in his right knee that led him to missing 18 games, the three-time All-Star has worked his way back in recent weeks.
After delivering the best performance of his latest comeback spell, Middleton stressed he remains untroubled by performing a role that requires him to come off the sidelines.
"I started my career coming off the bench, so it doesn't really bother me at all," he said. "I've been on the bench before, not playing games.
"Sometimes, [I am] coming in [the] first quarter, [the] second quarter or not until the second half. I just know I have to stay ready and have to be loose.
"Right now, I'm trying to be as aggressive as I can. I know it sounds simple, but that's just the mindset I'm trying to come up with, especially with my limited minutes.
"Hopefully as my minutes keep going [up], I keep the same mindset, because it's been working."
Middleton featured for 20 minutes as team-mate Giannis Antetokounmpo guided the Bucks to victory with 34 points and 18 rebounds.
They next play the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday and then the Miami Heat two days later in a double home stand.
LeBron James is completely relaxed about breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record NBA points total after moving another step closer during the Los Angeles Lakers' 129-123 win over the New York Knicks.
James played a starring role on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, becoming the first 38-year-old to ever record a 20-point triple-double as he finished with 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
Those 10 assists saw him overtake Steve Nash on the all-time leaderboard for NBA assists, with James now fourth on 10,336.
He remains 908 behind still-active Chris Paul in third, but the record that all eyes are on is overall points.
James' 28 here leaves him 88 off Abdul-Jabbar's record (38,387), meaning he is likely to surpass to his fellow Lakers great either on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans, or three days later against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Some athletes might get nervous when approaching such a milestone, but James is utterly at ease with the situation due to it essentially being a formality.
"It's not getting heavier," James said.
"I'm going to do it. I mean, it's just a matter of time when I'm going to do it.
"It's not heavy. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be in this league for at least a few more years.
"I'm going to do it. It's not heavy at all."
There is also an element of anticipation from James' team-mates, with it set to be a momentous moment for everyone associated with the Lakers when he does break the record.
That is not lost on Anthony Davis.
"The team is very excited," he added. "It's probably going to be a surreal moment for all of us, but probably more so him... Obviously, whatever game it is, we want to be able to win the game."
But much of the focus around James on Tuesday related to his assists and overtaking Nash.
"It's amazing because that's just what I love to do and get my guys involved," James continued.
"Anytime you link with some of the greats – Mark Jackson played here, was drafted here by the Knicks, so it's a super cool thing. And obviously, we know when Nash was [in the league]; I played against him for many, many years. His ability to pass the ball was very uncanny."
Lakers coach Darvin Ham also paid tribute to James, saluting him for ignoring criticism about his game over the years and continuing to play true to himself.
"He's just a kid who's grown before our eyes. The last 20 years at this level, has done nothing but play the right way and make the play that's in front of him," Ham said.
"Regardless of how much he's been criticised for a while for not taking the last shots and the overpassing, he's just making the right plays. You saw that again tonight."
Injured quarterback duo Brock Purdy and Trey Lance are not concerning themselves over their San Francisco 49ers futures as they target full recoveries.
The pair picked up serious injuries during the 2022 campaign, with Purdy suffering a UCL tear in his right elbow during Sunday's NFC Championship Game defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Starter Lance meanwhile lasted two games before an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks prematurely ended his season.
Neither are focusing on the team's long-term quarterback plans however, instead focusing their efforts on ensuring they return to full fitness ahead of the 2023 campaign.
"For me to claim or say anything in terms of what's going to happen moving forward, that's out of my control," Purdy said.
"I'm going to do what I can to get healthy and be ready to compete come fall.
"There are different options in terms of letting it recover, so we still haven't come to a conclusion about any of that.
"[I'm] working with our medical team now. But there's literally nothing that I know yet for sure that is set in stone."
Purdy is looking at a best-case scenario of six months out dependent on which course of rehabilitation the 49ers choose.
Lance meanwhile is hopeful of being ready ahead of team activities in May, with the quarterback due to have his walking boot removed at the end of the week.
"I plan on being 100 per cent," he added. "I feel like I'm in a really good spot. I'm sure [my future] will be a whole story again this year for you guys.
"But I'm excited to get back out there, excited to compete."
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