In the song “NASA” from her 2019 album “thank u, next,” when pop superstar Ariana Grande repeatedly trills “I’ma need space, I’ma need space” during the chorus, she was singing about a relationship, but she may as well have been philosophizing about the best ways to make LeBron James an effective basketball player as he approaches age 37. And, as the Lakers have discovered this season, playing him at center is one of the best ways to get him the space he needs to be effective in his 19th season.
Blog boys and podcasters like myself call them “LeBron-at-the-5” lineups.