Dwyane Wade , Carmelo Anthony, and LeBron James joined the NBA together through the 2003 NBA Draft. Wade retired in 2019 while Anthony called it quits last year. Meanwhile, LeBron is still playing in the NBA and will be entering his 22nd NBA season later this year.
But not only is LeBron still in the league, but he is also still playing at a very high level. In Year 21, King James averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. He was also named to the All-NBA Third Team as the oldest player in the league. That's unprecedented in the entire league history.
"You don't see that," said Wade on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast . " You definitely don't think 27-7-7, you don't think you gonna be just that. The one thing you know about the game is you know he's obviously blessed by the Man Above, that his body, outside of the things that he personally does, you got to be a little lucky too."
LeBron has avoided serious injuries
To say that LeBron is lucky would be an understatement. At 6'8" and 250 pounds, he is built like a freight train but moves like a guard. He also showcased his durability by playing at least 75 games per season during his first 8 years in the league.
James has had injuries before, but none of them were severe enough to make him miss a significant number of games. This past campaign, he played 71 games, his most since the 2018 season. With Bron seemingly defying the laws of aging, there's no doubt he's fortunate to have the body he has.
"He's definitely blessed by the Man Above with the genetics, with his body, to be able to hold up but outside of that, it's the mental that is impressive, to be able to go this long and be that great. Because the work that you got to do year after year after year, you lose a step every time. He's obviously conquering it," added Wade.
LeBron using his basketball IQ more as he's aged
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan , who shared so many playoff battles with LeBron's Cavs when he was part of LeBronto, pointed out the difference in how LeBron plays today. Unlike in the past, where he would just try to bully his way to the basket, he now uses his court intelligence more to dominate games .
"I think this 'Bron is being more of the IQ for everybody than before because, you know, the Miami' Bron, that MF was incredible, same as Cleveland, but at any given moment, he could turn it on and get you 45, get a win or go out there and get a 40-point triple-double to get you a win you know whatever it may be. I think this time around, he's trusting and using so much of his IQ to dictate a game and win a game," said DeRozan.
James will tie Vince Carter's record for most seasons played in the NBA next season at 22. Barring any unfortunate incident, we should see him for at least two more years because that's the length of his latest contract. But based on how good he still was last season, no end is in sight yet for his NBA career.
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