Ten years ago, an NBA fan went viral for writing that, since LeBron James was already 30, his dominance in the league wouldn’t last much longer.
A decade has gone by, and that take hasn’t aged well.
While he’s no longer one of the best players in the league, and the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t a championship contender, James is still going strong.
As shown by the Lakers on X, James just turned 40 years old today.
BIG 4️⃣0️⃣, Happy Birthday @kingjames ? pic.twitter.com/S54qw1rvqV
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 30, 2024
And while some might argue that Father Time has finally caught up to him, he’s still posting better averages than most players in the league.
James has averaged over 27 points per game in his career, and he’s played for 22 seasons.
Even if you don’t think he’s the best player in history, this longevity is unparalleled.
We have seen guys like Vince Carter or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar play for over two decades, but we have never seen a player do what LeBron James does at this point in his career.
James will own most of the longevity-related records in NBA history.
That doesn’t necessarily make him the best player of all time, but being available and being able to play at a high level for such a long time also has to count for something.
He could legitimately play at this level for at least one or two more years and even further if he were to embrace a lesser role.
Judging by his latest statements, that doesn’t seem likely.
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