On Mar. 8, LeBron James left the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics game early due to a left groin strain. LeBron, who turned 40 on Dec. 29, is expected to return soon, but concerns about his longevity have re-ignited following his latest injury. Despite being old enough to where he plays professional basketball with his son, LeBron shows no signs of stopping — he’s played 58 of the Lakers’ 68 games, averaging 25 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.2 rebounds per game. Father Time will eventually catch up to LeBron, but that’s for the future; for now, just enjoy watching King James before it’s too late.
What LeBron is doing is unprecedented. Over 21 seasons, he has played in 1,837 games, including the playoffs, and has scored less than 10 points in only 10 games. Yes, that’s an actual statistic. For every 184 games Lebron James plays, he scores less than 10 points in ONE game. It’s ludicrous — utterly ludicrous. LeBron has continually evolved his game to compensate for his declining athleticism, and, as far as we’re concerned, he’s showing few signs of slowing down.
All things must come to an end, however. Questions about how many years LeBron has left have been asked for the greater part of a decade. Averaging at least 25 points every season since LeBron turned 30 has shown that he’s had plenty left in the tank, but the end is undoubtedly approaching. The 2024 Summer Paris Olympics felt like a celebration of LeBron’s career; after winning gold with the most star-studded American Olympic team we’ve seen since 2012 and also being the Team USA flag bearer during the opening ceremony, it felt like this was LeBron going out with a bang.
LeBron James has nothing left to prove. That being said, it appears he has a few final goals. He’s already played in an official NBA game with one of his sons, him and Bronny James becoming the first father-son duo to play in the NBA together. But there’s every indication that his younger son, Bryce, also has NBA potential, so perhaps he’s waiting to play with both sons. Also, after the Lakers pulled off an unbelievable trade to acquire Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis, this is the most talented team LeBron has played on since 2020, and perhaps his best chance to win his 6th NBA Championship before he retires. The end is near, but we should enjoy LeBron James before it’s too late.
