LeBron James will turn 40 in December. He is still a top-10 player in the world and proved that fact last season where he averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game while shooting 54% from the field and 41% from 3-point range for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Somehow, despite having almost 1,500 regular-season NBA games on his body, James continues to find ways to improve and defy the aging process.
The Lakers clearly still believe in their veteran superstar, too, having signed him to a two-year, $101M contract extension this summer. If he opts into the player option on that deal, James will be 41 by the time his contract expires. The scary part is that he could still be a top-10 or top-15 player in the league at that point.
In a recent interview with Sirius XM NBA Radio, two-time NBA champion Shane Battier praised James' longevity. Having spent time with James during his Miami Heat days, the veteran sharpshooter credited the four-time NBA champion's incredible success to his work and commitment to keeping his body in top condition.
"He's unbelievable," Battier gushed. "I saw the dedication to his body firsthand. His greatness comes from his work, really, on his body. The amount of time he spends stretching and strengthening and [doing] bandwork and massage, it was exhausting. I just wanted to drink beer and lift a few weights. His commitment to being at peak physical condition, 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 what separates him from everybody else."@ShaneBattier tells @TheFrankIsola and @Scalabrine that his former teammate, LeBron James, is still going strong#HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/Wmrn6QsV9G
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 11, 2024
In 2016, The Ringer's Bill Simmons reported that James' business partner, Maverick Carter, informed him that James spends approximately $1.5 million per year on keeping his body in peak condition.
"I just, by chance, spent some time with Maverick Carter a couple weeks ago, who’s LeBron’s business partner," Simmons said. "...I asked him, “What’s the biggest misconception about LeBron? What’s the one thing people don’t realize about LeBron?” And he said, “People don’t realize how hard he works on his body ... LeBron spends like a million and a half dollars a year on his body ... He’s got chefs. He has all the science of how to sleep. All these different things. Masseuses. Everything he does in his life is constructed to have him play basketball and to stay on the court and to be as healthy as possible."
All the work James has put into keeping himself healthy has clearly paid off. Even at his advancing age, he's still in a position to contend for championships. He's still being floated as a potential trade candidate for teams like the Golden State Warriors, who are searching for another championship run before Steph Curry's career ends. And he just added another Olympic gold medal to his trophy case.
Whether James adds a fifth championship to his resume, his status as an all-time great is secure. His longevity, dominance and impact on the game will be discussed for decades.
Still, Battier is right to praise his former teammate. It is incredible that he is still at the top of his game 21 years after entering the league. The bigger question is how much longer James has left in the NBA and if that time will be spent with the Lakers.
