Former LeBron James teammate is amazed James is still playing so well

minh | LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
September 15, 2024

Former LeBron James teammate is amazed James is still playing so well - Yahoo Sports

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is 39 years of age and about to enter his 22nd NBA season. But judging by his level of play, one may not be able to tell if they don’t know any better.

He made a record 20th appearance in the All-Star game and was the oldest player to be named to an All-NBA team this past season while averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds a game. He shot 54% from the field and, most impressively, made a career-high 41% of his 3-point attempts despite all the mileage on his body.

James may not be the greatest player in NBA history, but he is the greatest late-30s player the league has ever seen.

Former NBA forward Shane Battier, who won a couple of rings with him while with the Miami Heat, is amazed he’s still playing at an elite level and attributes it to the work he puts in.

“He’s unbelievable,” said Battier. “I saw the dedication to his body firsthand. His greatness comes from his work on his body. The amount of time he spends stretching and strengthening and bandwork and massage, it was exhausting. I just wanted to drink beer and lift a few weights. His commitment to being at peak physical conditioning, that’s what separates him from everybody else.

“I’m not surprised but I see him out there at 40 years old and I’m like, ‘Good Lord LeBron, you’re a better man than most of us.’ That’s a grind for anybody, much less a 40-year-old.”

James reportedly invests at least $1 million a year to keep his body right, and even at this point in his career, he’s still one of the more athletically gifted players in basketball, even though he’s clearly lost some of his peak explosiveness.

If he continues to hit the 3-ball at a high rate while keeping his overall workload reasonable enough, it shouldn’t be surprising to see him have one or even two more elite or near-elite seasons in the NBA.

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