Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been in the league for more than two decades and is the oldest player in the NBA right now at 40 years old. Folks probably wouldn’t have high expectations for most players at his age, but James is an exception.
With James still playing at a high level and fellow star Anthony Davis still in the fold as his running mate, there are those who think the Lakers should be contenders in the Western Conference this season, and at times, L.A. has looked the part. The Lakers own the No. 5 seed in the West and are riding a three-game winning streak.
Throughout his entire career, James has faced massive expectations. Former NBA guard Brandon Jennings mentioned the notion that people still expect James to compete for and win titles at this stage of his career when arguing that no player will ever face the amount of pressure he has over the years.
"There's no player in the history of the NBA that will ever have as much hype or pressure as LeBron James… they still think he should win a championship."
Brandon Jennings and Rashad McCants go at Gil over Bron's expectations since his rookie season. pic.twitter.com/gb6NKGJ1sw
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) January 25, 2025
James faced immense pressure as soon as he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. In the Netflix series “Starting 5,” he explained that he was given the keys to the Cavaliers as an 18-year-old kid.
While the forward has come up short in the NBA Finals a number of times over the course of his pro career and been through plenty of ups and downs, James has certainly lived up to the hype that he entered the league with.
With a resume that includes four NBA titles, four MVPs, four Finals MVPs, 21 All-Star nods and 20 All-NBA selections, he is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished players to ever to suit up in the NBA.
He will have a shot to earn his fifth title if Los Angeles manages to qualify for the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The last time James played past the first round of the playoffs came in the year 2023 when Los Angeles made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals as a No. 7 seed.
