Starting at center for not only the first time of his 19-year career, but for what he said was the first time in his life, LeBron James keyed a 132-123 victory for the Los Angeles Lakers over the Houston Rockets. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for an L.A. team that came into the season with title talk before a slew of setbacks took hold.
"I was a skinny, lanky kid growing up but I was never one of the biggest guys or in the center position," said the 6-foot-9, 250-pound James, who took the opening tip on Tuesday against Houston's 6-foot-9 center, Christian Wood.