What Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been able to do in the NBA at his age is unmatched as he turned in another All-NBA season in his 22nd year in the league.
In the NBA’s entire history, no one has been able to maintain greatness late into their career like James, who is the league’s all-time leading scorer in addition to having just about every other award and accolade to his name.
Perhaps the best person to compare LeBron to in that regard is Tom Brady, who played in the NFL into his mid 40s and remaining one of the best quarterbacks in the league, continuing to rack up Super Bowls.
James and Brady have always shared a mutual respect due to the hard work they put in and dedication to their crafts. During a live taking of “The Shop” at Fanatics Fest in New York, Brady made sure to give LeBron his followers and referred to him as the greatest ever, via Mikey Domagala:
“I went through in many ways what he’s gone through and I think the challenge probably is less physical for him than it is probably mental and emotional. And he’s got a lot of things tearing at him, business things, his children, now that Bronny is playing and Bryce is getting older, and he wants to be there for his family. There’s a lot of family demands and I think the challenge about getting older as an athlete is like, for all of us, everyone here is getting older and you’re working and your work is really important and so are other parts of your life too. You have to make a choice as an athlete because you don’t get to determine when the games are as a player, you gotta show up and play when they tell you to play. So you miss weddings, you miss birthdays, you miss Christmas, you miss Thanksgivings, and it gets to a point where you’re like OK, I just don’t want to give that up anymore and have a little bit more flexibility in your life and I think that’s what weighs on you a little bit. But there’s nobody in my mind that has navigated it as good as what LeBron has. What he’s done in basketball in this age with all the pressure and intensity that’s been on him, the Olympics, the different teams that he’s been on. He’s always done things the right way. He’s always risen above all the noise and BS and continued to deliver. So you’re witnessing the greatest ever, and I hope you guys will appreciate that.”
James hasn’t always been appreciated for his longevity, so it’s nice to see someone like Brady bringing attention to it. While LeBron hasn’t made the official announcement yet, all indications are that he will return to the Lakers for the 2025-26 season, which will be his 23rd in the NBA.
Brady played 23 years in the NFL before hanging it up, so perhaps the upcoming season will be the last for James as well, even though he is still an All-Star caliber player.
LeBron James to follow in Tom Brady’s footsteps?
Since he has retired from playing, Tom Brady has gotten into both broadcasting and ownership as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Perhaps LeBron James is headed that way as well as networks are already recruiting him to be an analyst, and it’s no secret that he has plans of owning an NBA team eventually.
Brady will likely serve as a valuable resource to James when he makes that transition, although he also now has new Lakers owner Mark Walter to lean on as well.
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