LeBron James 'having the time of my life right now,' helps Lakers end trip on upswing with 38 vs. former team

CLEVELAND — With the Los Angeles Lakers' flat-lining season experiencing a bit of blip with Monday's 131-120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James says he still has something left to play for.

«I'm literally having the time of my life right now,» James said after the Lakers finished their four-game road trip by winning two of their final three. «The game's such a beautiful thing.»

L.A.'s spot in the standings is anything but beautiful, even with the upswing, as Lakers still sit in No. 9 in the Western Conference — one game ahead of the No. 10 New Orleans Pelicans and three games up on the No. 11 San Antonio Spurs — with 10 games left to play.

But James, who poured in 38 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in lifting his all-time record to 17-1 against his former franchise, is locked into the present moment his team finds itself in.

With four championships and 10 trips to the NBA Finals on his résumé already, why does the 37-year-old star still find purpose with a team just hoping to scrape its way into the play-in tournament?

«Because I couldn't care less what the narrative about our team is,» James said. «At my point in my career, I don't get involved in that stuff. I don't read about it, I don't hear it too much.… None of that stuff matters to me, I'm having a blast playing the game of basketball.»

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said that James' play — he averaged 37.3 points on 57.1% shooting, 10 rebounds and 8.3 assists to end the trip as L.A. beat two playoff teams in Toronto and Cleveland and narrowly lost to Washington after leading by as many as 16 — has kept his group competitive despite how the season has gone.

«This is a league that when things don't go the right way, it's not a pleasant thing to be around,»