LeBron James is shattering records every season with his incredible longevity in the NBA. He's heading into his 22nd season in 2024-25, with James turning 40 years old at the end of the year. His former Miami Heat teammate Shane Battier got real on James' longevity on SiriusXM NBA Radio while speaking to Frank Isola and former Celtic Brian Scalabrine.
"He's unbelievable. I saw the dedication to his body firsthand. His greatness really comes from his work on his body. Stretching, strengthening, bandwork, and the size, it was exhausting. I wanted him to just lift a few weights. His commitment to being at peak physical conditioning is 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 averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in his 21st NBA season. averaging more points than all other players who have played that deep into their NBA career combined. In addition, James also is the oldest player to make the All-NBA Team after his appearance on the Third Team last season.
LeBron has normalized fans expecting old superstars to continue carrying their team to championship expectations, but it's clear James isn't the same Playoff performer he used to be. He has endured the only two first-round exits of his career after turning 35, with one season where he nearly led the league in scoring but missed the Playoffs and one where the Lakers made an improbable run to the Conference Finals.
This is historic but he will set new standards for how players look after their bodies to extend their careers like James has. Both Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are 36 years old but show no sign of slowing down anytime soon either.
Former NBA Players Believes LeBron's Longevity Has Made Him The GOAT
It became clear to many fans that when it looked like James couldn't match Michael Jordan's accomplishments like-for-like, he was showing off his longevity to create a new historical barometer for what the greatest player looks like. Incredible winning over a short period is Jordan's ballpark, but consistent greatness over two decades is LeBron's.
Recently retired NBA swingman Terrence Ross named LeBron as the GOAT due to how mind-boggling his longevity is in the historical context of the NBA.
"LeBron to me now, is the GOAT. I don't know how you put Jordan over if Jordan would have done what he was doing for 20 years. I'm like, yeah, like LeBron has a long way to go. The truth of the matter is he played basketball twice, returned twice, got a three-peat on his first return."
"And the second time he came back, he was not the same player. LeBron has literally been on a peak his entire career. I mean, he just gets older, but he's still as effective as he's always been."
"I mean, and the level of competition he's doing it against is, to me, more impressive than the competition Jordan went against, if we're going to be honest about it."
James will hope he can continue playing at the highest level next season with on-court success for the Lakers and a possible 21st straight All-NBA and All-Star appearance.
Related: Tracy McGrady On Why He'd Start A Franchise With LeBron James Over Stephen Curry And Kevin Durant
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