Watch: Insane sequence sees LeBron James posterize 7-foot-1 Dereck Lively II with left hand then grab a steal 

LeBron James might be the oldest player in the NBA today, but he still has some traces of his athleticism from his prime. James showed off his hops on Tuesday night when the LA Lakers visited the short-handed Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

With the Mavs up by four points early in the first quarter, Max Christie recovered his missed shot and quickly passed it to James. "The King" was running full steam ahead and was met at the rim by Dallas big man, Dereck Lively II, one of the league's premiere shot blockers.

James had to improvise quickly, changing hands from right to left for an emphatic slam that shocked and awed the crowd. The Lakers bench couldn't believe what the 40-year-old superstar did. And to top it off, the four-time NBA champ stole the inbound pass and then gave it to Austin Reaves for an open 3, but he missed.

LeBron James was on the injury report ahead of tonight's game due to a left foot injury but was upgraded to available. James has been playing through the injury since last season and remains one of the best players in the NBA today.

The LA Lakers entered the contest with a 20-15 record and were winners of seven of their last 10 games. However, they were coming off a 119-115 loss to the Houston Rockets.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have been ravaged by injuries. They were missing several key players such as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford. The game is also the season's first matchup between the Lakers and Mavs. The Lakers have not won a season series against Dallas since the 2019-20 campaign.

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LeBron James happy to see the team take accountability

LeBron James happy to see the team take accountability. (Photo: IMAGN)

One of the biggest changes to the LA Lakers under coach JJ Redick is the team finally taking accountability for their mistakes on the court. LeBron James is happy to see it from his teammates, praising them for going through all their mistakes in the film room and working on them.

"We just wanna continue to put the work in," James said, according to Lakers Nation. "There's no substitution for work and even though we don't have a lot of time to be on the practice court, anytime we have film sessions. ... We have to take advantage of it. I love the fact that we can take our film sessions from a previous game or previous matchup and then apply it right to the game. Guys are holding themselves accountable and it helps."

With the trade deadline less than a month away, the Lakers are expected to be active and possibly give LeBron his best roster since the 2019-20 NBA season.