But when it comes to the contest for African-American support here in this crucial presidential primary state, Joe Biden shouldn’t be underestimated.

That’s the assessment of African-American faith leaders, state legislators, voters and party operatives in South Carolina, an early-voting state where black voters make up the majority of the Democratic electorate.

“There is still significant support for the vice president in the African-American community,” said Rev. Joseph Darby, an influential Charleston pastor who calls Biden a longtime friend, though he wasn’t making an endorsement.

Added state Sen. Marlon Kimpson: If Biden runs, “he shakes up the race, his entry into the race shakes up the entire field. He certainly emerges as a very formidable, top-tier candidate, if not frontrunner.”

Certainly, Biden’s potential challenges as a candidate are well-known, and they are legion. He is 76 years old at a time when Democratic voters overwhelmingly say they are unenthusiastic about older candidates. His lengthy record includes positions that are already running afoul of today’s energized progressive base—and in some instances, of the broader party—and further scrutiny is sure to come. He would scramble to catch up in fundraising and early-state organizing, and he would confront a competitive field that includes several candidates of color, including Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, two African-Americans who are generating palpable enthusiasm on the ground here.

James is still putting up amazing numbers. At 34, he’s on pace to become the oldest person in NBA history to average 27 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. If it happens, he’ll break the record set by 33-year-old LeBron James last season. No other 30-something has finished a season with stats like that.

Still, this Lakers’ season is lost. But Wade warns against expecting the same next season.

“This is definitely going to make him hungrier for what he’s trying to accomplish next year,” Wade said.

MORE JAMES

James passed Michael Jordan for No. 4 on the NBA’s all-time regular season scoring list last week.

This week, he’ll pass Kobe Bryant on another scoring list.

Including playoff games, James now has 39,252 points. That leaves him 31 shy of matching Bryant for No. 3 on the all-time total points list, when including the postseason. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 44,154 points including playoffs, Karl Malone has 41,689 and Bryant scored 39,283.

Bryant will remain No. 3 on the regular-season list, though James is on pace to pass him in that department next season.

AND MORE JAMES

One thing to think about as James enters potentially six months without any basketball: It might not be six months without any basketball.

USA Basketball certainly is hoping that’s the case.

With the FIBA World Cup looming in China this summer, and with the Americans — set to be coached by Gregg Popovich — not convening for camp until more than three months after the end of the Lakers’ season, it would seem like James would have plenty of time to feel refreshed and ready for a return to game action by then.

There are pros and cons that he’ll consider.

Pros: He’s enormously popular in China, he’s greatly enjoyed playing for USA Basketball before and the chance to be coached by Popovich is going to be a major selling point.

Cons: The tournament goes until Sept. 15, which is not long before the start of NBA training camps, and the Lakers have to go to China for preseason games next fall. Even from Los Angeles, that’s a long flight and it remains to be seen if James would want to make it twice in a relatively short amount of time.