It’s astounding that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is still playing at an elite level despite being 36 years of age.
Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry recently pointed to James for being the standard for longevity in the NBA.
“He set the standard for that,” Curry said after Friday’s shootaround, while discussing James’ ability to extend his prime. “Let’s keep it real — what is he, in his 18th year? Nine straight Finals, all the things that he’s accomplished. You have a vision of sustaining your prime for as long as you can, kind of reimagining what that looks like. So you know the work that goes into it, the intentionality, especially in the offseasons, especially how you take care of your body, your mind. Balance on court, off court.”
James is heading into his 19th season in the NBA.
Although James has endured rough patches of injury over the last couple years, he has still competed in tremendous fashion. In fact, he averaged 25.0 points, 7.8 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game last season.
Of course, the Lakers were dismantled by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. James dealt with a nagging ankle injury for the second half of the season.
However, the four-time MVP recently declared that he is in great shape as the start of the 2020-21 campaign nears.
As for Curry, he is entering his 13th year in the league. The three-time champion holds career averages of 24.2 points, 6.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
“For me, it’s a weird perspective just because I still remember my college days and he was just coming into his prime in the league,” Curry said. “And my sophomore year, [NCAA] tournament run he came to a game, then came to a game my junior year. This is hilarious. I still have a jersey that he signed back in ’08 in my parents’ house back in Charlotte. So it’s kind of weird to think about what’s happened in the last 13, 14 years.”
