The Los Angeles Lakers are watching LeBron James continue to make history, and it has Indiana Pacers great Rik Smits more impressed with his behind-the-scenes work than his on-the-court work.
James, who is in his 21st season in the league, was named to an NBA-record 20th All-Star Game this season in Indianapolis. The 39-year old LeBron James is averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game on 53 percent shooting from the field and 40.7 percent from three. It's his 20th consecutive season averaging over 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.
Former Indiana Pacers great Rik Smits, who spoke with ClutchPoints' Jerry Donatien at All-Star Weekend, credits all the work that you don't see the Lakers star put in that's resulted in the longevity we're watching right now.
“It goes to show [that it's] his behind the scenes work,” Rik Smits told ClutchPoints. “You gotta put in a lot of work to stay as strong and as healthy as he does. I don't know him personally but obviously he's competitive as can be. He knows how to take care of his body. And that's a big part of it.”
LeBron James just became the first player in NBA history to reach 40,000 career points. Interestingly enough, it took him 368 games to reach 10,000 career points, which is the same exact amount of games it took him to go from 30,000 to 40,000 career points.
Lakers' LeBron James is the first NBA player to score 40,000 points.
James scored his first 10,000 points in the exact same number of games as it took him to go from 30,000 to 40,000
– 10K in 368 games
– 10K to 20K in 358 games
– 20K to 30K in 381 games
– 30K to 40K in 368 games pic.twitter.com/mw5nkSizyy— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 3, 2024
Rik Smits was a model of consistency himself during his 12-year NBA career, all with the Indiana Pacers. Smits averaged 14.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 50.7 percent shooting from the field over his career with Indiana.
He also played in 867 of a possible 952 regular season games — or 91 percent of his games, which doesn't even account for the 104 playoff appearances he made for Indiana as well.
“Stay injury free, and the better shape you are, the healthier you are, the stronger you are, it all helps,” Rik Smits continued to ClutchPoints. “Over the years that has become more… People now how to stay healthier better or they know what to do to stay healthy or stay stronger. That's part of the evolution too of players in the NBA. We didn't have a whole lot of that when I was playing. It was done, but not like it is today.
“It's a combination. He's living proof that it makes a difference.”
LeBron James hasn't been willing to divulge how many years he has left to play in the NBA, mostly because he probably doesn't even know himself. He has dropped a few nuggets at All-Star weekend that he doesn't think there are many years left ahead of him.
“I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left, but I know it's not many,” LeBron James said at All-Star weekend. “I'm 50/50 [on having a farewell tour]. There are times I feel like I owe it to my fans that's been on this journey with me for 2 decades plus, to give them that moment… I am a Laker and I've been very happy to have been a Laker for the last 6 years… I don't know how it's gonna end, but it's coming. It's coming for sure,” he declared.”
Over his 1,478 game-career James is averaging 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 50.6 percent shooting. In 282 playoff appearances, James is averaging 28.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 block per game on 49.5 percent shooting from the field.
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