Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James turned 36 in late December, but in assessing the reality of aging, he acknowledged that he does not expect to be healthy again.
LeBron, with an update on what aging looks like.
“I will never be healthy again. I haven’t been healthy since the first year I joined the league.”
– Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) March 11, 2021
Of course, James’s description of his health is apparently more threatening than basketball fans continue to see when he enters the field for the Lakers.
In his 18th NBA season, James is still showing consistent numbers in all areas, averaging 25.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Any player would be jealous of those numbers, which came with James playing every Lakers game except one this season.
This ability to maintain its excellence came through countless hours of training and continued dedication to perfecting your skills on the court.
Entering the Lakers’ return on Friday night at the All-Star break, James played 1,301 games in the regular season and 260 postseason. The last number is equivalent to playing a little over three additional seasons.
That monstrous amount of games can wear out the bodies, with James also having a reduced off-season due to the Lakers’ 2020 NBA title win in October.
At some point, James will decide to retire, and while he may never be 100 percent again, it is clear that even a suboptimal is someone who will help the Lakers.