Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is doing unprecedented things this season. He is 40 years old and in his 22nd NBA campaign, yet he is still unquestionably one of the best players in basketball and could legitimately finish in the top five of MVP voting.
Very few players are still playing at age 40, or make it to their 22nd season. And the few that have were nowhere near the players they were in their prime. LeBron is bucking every trend of what it means to age as a professional athlete. And how he’s been able to do so comes down to work in multiple areas.
In an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, James spoke about the way he’s been able to stay effective this late in his career and how he’s felt during his historic 22nd season:
āObviously, Iāve been in the game for a while, so I kind of know what to expect. One, you gotta take care of your body. But more importantly, you gotta take care of your mind. Being a professional athlete, if your mind is not as sharp as possible or as clear as possible, then youāre not going to be able to perform at a high level. Seeing what our team is capable of doing, even before the big acquisition of picking up Luka, I thought we had a good chance of making a good run. So I wanted to make sure that I was there, not only physically but also mentally. And just give to the season. But Iāve felt pretty good throughout the whole season. I know I had a small injury that kept me out two weeks, but Iām back and I feel great.ā
The Lakers star followed that up by addressing a rumor that has been circulating for years now that James spends upwards of $1 million per year on taking care of his body:
āI donāt know where the hell that shit came from. I donāt know where that came from, but I mean, I do take care of my body. I donāt have any idea where that amount of money came from. But I do invest in my body, for sure. Trying to do a little bit of this, little bit of that. Obviously a lot of soft tissue work, massages, a lot of hyperbaric chambers, ice tubs, ice baths, whatever I can do to continue to play at this level, Iām going to continue to do while Iām playing.ā
LeBron takes care of his body and mind arguably better than any player in NBA history ever has. And the result has been historic longevity and remaining one of the best players in the world for over two decades. And with the Lakers firmly in postseason and championship contention, it’s more important than ever to James that he stay locked in mentally and physically.
LeBron James bringing back “Mind the Game” podcast
It was announced on Wednesday morning that LeBron James is rebooting the “Mind the Game” podcast he started with Lakers head coach JJ Redick. With Redick out due to being a head coach, James is re-upping the podcast with two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash.
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