Once the 2025-26 season gets underway, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will have played the most seasons in NBA history with 23. What makes that stat even crazier is that James is still playing at an All-NBA level.
When a player is at this stage of their career, they typically mentor rookies or second-year players. One example of that was Kobe Bryant when he was nearing the end of his illustrious career and the Lakers roster was full of young players. However, James has the benefit of teaching while competing for a championship, hoping to capture his fifth ring this season.
Now that Luka Doncic is in town, LeBron can prepare him for what it is like to play for an organization like the Lakers. James has seen a lot through his two decades in the NBA and he is also using that knowledge to pass a message to the next generation of young athletes, via Nike:
“My message has always been the same to the next generation of athletes who are inspired to play the game: If there’s something that you love to do, go out and do it,” says LeBron. “Fall in love with the process and not the results. That’s the No. 1 key to me, and I always try to instill that in anyone who’s inspired by what I do or needs words of encouragement about how to reach their goals.”
There is no sugarcoating how taxing an 82-game season is for players and especially for a veteran like James, who has 10 NBA Finals appearances and 292 playoff games under his belt. At this point, he has nothing to prove, but his love for basketball keeps him going.
The all-time leading scorer follows a strict regiment every offseason, every off day, every game day, and seemingly every living second he is recovering and bettering his body. At the end of the day, that is what makes James special, as no one at this stage in their career is dedicating this much time to be great.
Ultimately, James’ message to young athletes is something that he lives by and it shows as he continues to break records and reach milestones on the court.
LeBron James returning to China as part of Forever King Tour with Nike
To further demonstrate his love for basketball, LeBron James will be returning to China as a part of the Forever King Tour with Nike next month and it will be his 15th time doing so.
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