LeBron James has had to remind himself to be patient with his Los Angeles Lakers team-mates during their slow start to the season.

The Lakers began the campaign with three consecutive losses and held a 2-5 record in late October.

But, they earned their third straight win when they topped the Atlanta Hawks by a point on Sunday and they’ve been victorious in five of their last six.

It has not been an easy start for James, though, and he has had to bite his lip at times in the opening months.

“I haven’t changed anything outwardly, but you know me. You know how I am. I almost cracked [last week],” he told Yahoo Sports.

“I had to sit back and remind myself, ‘You knew what you were getting yourself into.’ This process has been good for me. I just have to continue being patient.

“I had to regroup and remember this is a young team. We’re starting to build some good habits. That’s all that matters right now.”

James, who left the Cavaliers and signed a four-year, $153.3 million deal with the Lakers this summer, has averaged 26.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists in his first 13 games with Los Angeles